Maybe two and two is ten in the case of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a vocal tentet that has endured many changes since its founding in the early '60s by Joseph Shabalala. The sixties were a turbulent time in South Africa, a fact that's reflected in the group's name: Ladysmith after Shabalala's hometown, Black after the mighty ox (as well as the obvious), and Mambazo from the Zulu word for axe.

(Such names were not unique. One of the greatest records in South African history is Mankunku's 1968 masterpiece Yakhal' Inkomo, whose title refers to the sound a bull makes when taken to slaughter.)

But make no mistake: LBM is entirely about peace, consciousness, respect, and reconciliation. There's no violence or roughness in this music—just spiritual communication of the highest order. According to Shabalala, “it comes from the blood.” Indeed. These vocal harmonies will remind Western ears of hymns and our own gospel music, and that's entirely appropriate given the embedded message of love. They may also recall the gentle ripples of Paul Simon's 1986 recording Graceland, probably the greatest hunk of South African music the world has ever swallowed en masse. Call and response between man and man, man and God.

On Raise Your Spirit Higher the members of Ladysmith Black Mambazo sing nine spiritual anthems in Zulu, three in English, plus an odd hip-hop tribute to the leader's late wife by his grandsons. Gentle waves of open harmonies break on the shore, individual voices rising throughout in counterpoint and call-and-response. The music is particularly warm because of the deep pitches of the male voices involved. Intermittent fluttering trills, breath, and clicks accent certain features — especially prominent in “Because I Love,” a tribute to the group's home town, and appropriate given the vastly expanded sonorities of the Zulu language.

Raise Your Spirit Higher stacks up there with the very best of Ladysmith Black Mambazo's output (over 30 records strong at this point). It's impeccably produced, thoroughly organic, and a spiritual tribute of the highest order. “Black Is Beautiful.” Indeed. Now close your eyes and listen.