Their sound is unprecedented. Their harmony is unmistakable. Mention of the name Ladysmith Black Mambazo should bring only warm feelings when you think about their music, as well as pleasant memories when you discover that they have been together for over thirty years. From Paul Simon's benchmark Graceland album to those cool Life Savers commercials, Ladysmith's longevity in the business is proof positive that great talent is impossible to deny. This January, Ladysmith Black Mambazo released Raise Your Spirit Higher (Wenyukela), their first album since Live at Royal Albert Hall, the one that earned them a Grammy nomination in 1999.

It has been more than fIfteen years since Paul Simon made his initial trip to South Africa and met Joseph Shabalala and the other members of Ladysmith Black Mambazo in a recording studio in Johannesburg. Having first heard of the group by hearing a cassette of their music sent to him by a Los Angeles DJ, Simon was blown away by the stirring sound of bass, alto and tenor harmony. That was the inspiration Simon needed to incorporate into his Graceland album, the traditional sounds of Black South Africa.

Graceland soon became the project many believe shaped today's explosive interest in World Music. The traditional music sung by Ladysmith Black Mambazo is called ISICATHAMIYA (Is-Cot-A-Me- Ya). It originated in the mines of South Mrica, as Black workers were taken by rail to work far away from their homes and their families. Poorly housed and paid even worse, they would keep themselves entertained after a six-day work week by singing songs into the wee hours every Sunday morning. They called themselves cothoza mfana, or "tip toe guys", referring to the dance steps they choreographed so as to not Glsturb the camp security guards.

When miners returned to their homelands, that tradition went along with them. These traditions spawned a heavily competitive but socially invigorating event held regularly and became a highlight on everyone's calendar. The winners were awarded a goat for their efforts and the adoration of their fans. These competitions are still held today at YMCA assembly halls and church basements throughout "Zululand".

In the late 1950s, Joseph Shabalala left the family farm in his hometown of Ladysmith for the urban life of Durban to work in a factory. He also left to find some singers that could really make is icathamiya soar to unprecedented heights.

He had aspirations of spreading the music of the mines throughout all of Africa. His first few attempts, however, proved daunting. "I felt there was something missing," Shabalala said. "I tried to teach the music that I felt, but I failed, until 1964 when a dream came to me. I always hear the harmony from that dream and 1 said 'this is the harmony that I want and I can teach it to my guys.'" He had to find singers who could really commit to those harmonies, so he looked no further than his own family members - brothers Headman and Jockey, cousins Albert and Abednego Mazibuko, and other close friends. He taught the group the harmonies from his dreams. With time and patience, his work began to reap the fruits of those dreams.

Shabalala's dreams became realized shortly thereafter when his newly formed group began singing at those competitions. However, those events were utterly and completely one-sided when his a cappella group ran away with victories one after the other each and every week. In fact, their name, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, came about as a result of that amazing winning streak "Ladysmith" is the hometown of the Shabalala family; "Black" refers to the black ox, considered to be the strongest animal on the farm. The Zulu word "Mambazo" means ax -symbolic of the group's ability to "chop down" any competition they faced. They became so good for so long that after a while they were strictly forbidden to enter the competitions: But they were welcomed to entertain the town at them.

As their fame grew, they began to be heard on South Mrican radio stations. Airing on Radio Zulu by Alexius Buthelezi was the key to signing a recording contract with Gallo, for whom they still record. Early on in their recording career, other tribes and a few whites (including Simon, who Shabalala refers to as vulindella, or 'he who opened the gate') picked up on Ladysmith, so Shabalala began writing in other African languages and even a bit in English, for even then, his goal of bringing people together was starting to be realized. Since then the group has recorded over forty albums, selling over six million records at home and abroad, establishing them as the number one record selling group from Mrica. Their work with Simon on Graceland attracted a world of fans that never knew the subtleties of Zulu harmony could be so captivating.

Instant global acclaim allowed Ladysmith to travel and perform internationally. They received not only critical acclaim from newfound listeners, they were sought after by any and every entertainer or musician in the world, especially in the UI1-ited States. Their first U.S. album released by Warner Brothers, Shaka Zulu, was produced by Simon and won a Grammy Award in 1987 for Best Traditional Folk Album. Since then they have been nominated for a Grammy six additional times, including a nomination for the album Live From Royal Albert Hall. A documentary film titled "On Tip Toe: Gentle Steps To Freedom," which is the story of Joseph Shabalala and Ladysmith Black Mambazo, was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Short Documentary Film in 2001. In addition, "On Tip Toe: Gentle Steps to Freedom" has been nominated for an Emmy Award in 2002 for Best Cultural Documentary. Their discography includes recordings with Stevie Wonder, Julia Fordham, The Winans and Dolly Parton. They have worked on five major motion picture soundtracks: Moonwalker (Michael Jackson), A Dry White Season (Marlon Brando), Let's Do It A Cappella (Spike Lee), Coming To America (Eddie urphy) and Cry The Beloved Country ames Earl Jones). One of Shabalala's mgs was adapted into the play, "The mg of Jacob Zulu," which was nominated for six Tony Awards. They have ecome known to the TV audiences for leir legendary appearance on Sesame treet (still one of the top three requested esame Street segments in its history) tld in commercials for 7-Up, Lifesavers mdy, Heinz Soup and IBM.

Politically, however, Mambazo did not tlcounter such success. At the time the anti-apartheid movement organized an international economic and cultural boycott of South Mrica, and outrage at the reaking of that barrier was heard round Ie world, Shabalala was constantly critiized and ostracized for the stands he took. By remaining steadfast in his view to love his neighbor, he and Mambazo saw apartheid through to its ultimate demise. Now that that historic chapter as closed, traditional life in South Africa continues to evolve and shape into one of unity and universal acceptance. Although cable television, MTV, and their international influences are taking their toll on tradition, Shabalala sees both the wonder and the peril in this progress. A man who holds steadfast to his dreams, Shabalala's life ambition now is to establish the first academy for the teaching and preservation of indigenous South Mrican music and culture in South Mrica. Aside from singing and writing, Joseph continues teaching young children the traditions his elders taught him. His appointment as an associate professor of ethnomusicology at the University of Natal as well as a teaching position with UCLA in California, presents a new and welcomed challenge. "It's just like performing," he says. "You work all day, correcting the mistakes, encouraging the young ones to be confident in their action. And if they do not succeed I always criticize myself. I am their teacher. They are willing to learn. But it is up to me to see they learn correctly." Over the past several years, in fact, with the retirement of several members of the group, Joseph has enlisted the talents of four sons - the next Mambazo generation - into the group. Bringing a youthful energy to the group, while maintaining the flawless tradition of Mambazo, shows the world that the teachings and customs of his people will not fade into obscurity.

As far as the new album goes, Shabalala deems Raise Your Spirit Higher (Wenyukela) a spiritual one, not straying far from their previous records of deeply rooted Mrican musical traditions - however this particular album isn't specific to one faith. Shabalala was a native of the South Mrican Zulu tribe but converted to Christianity in the late 1950s, around the same time his own musical journey began. He believes this album transcends all faiths.

"Without hearing the lyrics, this music gets into the blood," Shabalala says, "because it comes from the blood. It invokes enthusiasm and excitement, regardless of what you follow spiritually." With a legacy of political and spiritual unrest on the continent of Africa and in the world, one sure constant of hope, it seems, emanates ,from the voices"'of Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

Raise Your Spirit Higher (Wenyukela) offers 13 tracks of uplifting tenor/alto/bass hannony with powerful messages and traditions including the title track and others: "Wamlul' Umshado (Beautiful Wedding)," "Because I Love," "Fak' Ibhande (Don't Drink and Drive)" and Wangibambezela (Message From His Heart)." Two of the most simple but equally powerful tracks on the album, however, are "Black Is Beautiful" and "Music Knows No Boundaries," which reiterate the otherwise known fact that being of Mrican descent is a blessing rather than a curse, whether it is because of our strength, our spirituality, or the music we create.

Strength was something that Shabalala needed desperately in 2002, when Nellie Shabalala, his wife of thirty years, was gunned down in a church parking lot by a masked assailant. Even now, still no conviction has resulted nor the assailant identified.

"At the time that [the murder] happened, I tried to take my mind deep into the spirit, because I know the truth is there," he said: "In my flesh, I might be angry, I might cry, I might suspect somebody. But when I took my mind into the spirit, the spirit told me to be calm and not to worry. Bad things happen, and the only thing to do is to raise your spirit higher."

While Wenyukela has been a form of spiritual therapy for him, it is equally a testament to the tragedies that we all face in our lives and the ways in which we deal with them. Therapy comes in any form, such as the final cut on the album titled "Tribute." Here, Shabalala's grandchildren use hip-hop to give their grieving grandfather hope for the future: "Great, Great Grandpa please hold on/Don't let your heart be troubled/Don't be afraid/Great, Great Grandma's not gone/She's in your heart! And that's where she will stay".

Ladysmith Black Mambazo is arguably the most sought-after a cappella group in the world, and even amidst personal tragedy their talent and spiritual foundation shine through. "When the world looks at you and finds the tears in your eyes, but you smile in spite of the tears, then they discover that, 'Oh, he's right when he says you must be strong, because many things have happened to him, and he still carries on with the spirit of the music.'"

The spirit of the music has become the most important aspect of Joseph Shabalala and Ladysmith Black Mambazo's contribution to the world. Their ability to break cultural barriers and share their talents with the world unselfishly showcases their love for life and love for all peoples. Nelson Mandela, one of their greatest fans, calls them South Africa's cultural ambassadors-at-large to the whole world. Over the past l thirty years, Ladysmith Black Mambazo has devoted their talents, culture, and t faith to share with the world in hopes that a better day will come. The realization of that devotion will be as certain and refreshing as the voices that bring it forward.

-Omar Bobb-Semple