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They jammed with Paul Simon and sang for Nelson Mandela. Now South Africa's Grammy-winning a cappella group Ladysmith Black Mambazo will be coming to Toronto. The 10-member dance and choral ensemble, performing at Massey Hall on Feb. 19, is South Africa's largest-selling recording group. Factory worker Joseph Shabalala formed Mambazo in 1964, recruiting and training his close friends and relatives. Their music is inspired by the traditional music of South African mines, where workers would raise their spirits by singing and dancing into the early hours of the morning. Shabalala's expertly piercing tenor voice includes various rhythmic tongue clicks, bird-like trills and guttural gulps. Mambazo got their first break in 1986, contributing to Paul Simon's recording of Graceland. When Nelson Mandela received the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize, he asked the group to sing at the awards ceremony in Oslo, Norway; they later performed at his 1994 presidential inauguration.

Mambazo's 1997 album, Heavenly, features artists such as Dolly Parton, Lou Rawls and Bonnie Raitt, making for a unique gospel-blues-Zulu sound. The group's newest release is Raise Your Spirit Higher -- Wenyukela, in which they return to more traditional South African rhythm and melody. Declared better than the best of Motown by some fans, Mambazo can be sneak- previewed on Oprah tomorrow.

Thursday, Feb. 19. 8 p.m. Massey Hall. $29.50-49.50. 416-872-4255 or Roy Thomson Hall box office.;News