Ladysmith Black Mambazo

“Their warm-centered presence and harmonics both soothe and offer hope for a more empathetic world.” — Chicago Tribune

More than sixty years after the group’s founding, and nearly seven years after the passing of its original leader, Joseph Shabalala, Ladysmith Black Mambazo continues to represent the pinnacle of South African a cappella music. The group became a powerhouse soon after Shabalala brought it together to realize a vision of perfect vocal harmony that came to him in a dream. The group’s distinct style of isicathamiya singing — a choral form developed in Black South African communities before and during Apartheid — propelled them to fame at home almost immediately and on to international acclaim over the decades that followed.

They have performed for millions of people on stages around the world, won five Grammy Awards, and earned nineteen Grammy nominations. And they were enduring favorites of Nelson Mandela, who brought them with him to Oslo when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993, invited them to perform at his presidential inauguration in 1994, and in 2003 designated them as South Africa’s cultural ambassadors to the world.