Jazz Articles about Ladysmith Black Mambazo

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Ladysmith Black Mambazo: Raise Your Spirit Higher

by C. Michael Bailey
December 15, 2003

Ladysmith Black Mambazo could sing the text to American Psycho and make it sound as gentle as a lullaby. These singers are regarded as the foremost practitioners of South African vocal music, having received worldwide notice and acclaim when they appeared on Paul Simon’s 1986 recording Graceland (recall the revelation of the introduction to “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes").

On their Heads Up debut, the South African dectette, led by Joseph Shabalala, sonically weaves its way ...