Ladysmith Black Mambazo was formed in the early 1960s after lead singer Joseph Shabalala had a powerful dream in which he saw a choir of children dancing and singing. It was soon after that he formed the band.

The group has been a worldwide sensation; their first album, Shaka Zulu (1987), won them a Grammy and since then they’ve been nominated five times.

We asked them how they felt about the Grammy, their album (Raise Your Spirit Higher), and what it means to be a South African band making it in the international market.

Raise Your Spirit Higher has been nominated twice for this year’s Grammys. As a South African band, how does it feel to be nominated by an American music organisation as popular as the Grammys?

These were our 8th and 9th Grammy nominations and, just like the prior seven nominations, as well as the year in which we won the Grammy, we felt that the recognition was not ours alone, but for South Africa as a whole.

We have always tried our utmost to represent our country, our people and our culture. We are touring, travelling mobile cultural ambassadors for SA, so when we are cited by the likes of the Grammys, it is an acknowledgement for South Africa.

We are humbled; we thank God for these opportunities and each and every time we are honoured is a new and fantastic sensation.

What advice would you give other South African bands wanting to make a mark in the US?

Be true and honest with your music and your culture. Don’t try to be something else; be who you are.

The people of the world love truth in music and one reason Ladysmith has remained popular abroad is that we try to remain truthful to our tradition. People see this and love it.

Why the title, Raise Your Spirit Higher?

For many, many reasons. We made this album during difficult days. The world was shaken by the events and consequences of September 11, and our personal lives were shaken by tragedy around the same time. We have found that during the worst times a person’s true nature is revealed.

Who will you be when an awful thing happens to you? Will you be awful in return? We found that the best spiritual place to bring oneself to during a tragedy is a higher place, a better place.

It is easy to be a good person and to love your fellow man when your life is wonderful. However, when your life is less than wonderful, how will you be to others? This is when we all need to raise our spirits higher – to be a better person, a better soul.

What process went into making this album?

We gather and work together to find the messages behind the album and songs. Joseph then writes all the songs and the group works on them with him to find that perfect sound and emotion.

Raise Your Spirit Higher was also nominated for its surround-sound qualities. How did this come about?

It was amazing. When the US record company, Heads Up International, and its president, Dave Love, told us about what they had done to the album’s sound quality, we were at first confused.

Then Dave put us into a room and demonstrated the sound. Wow! It was unbelievable hearing our voices surrounding us ... as if we were actually surrounding ourselves. It was truly fantastic.

What about your new album, No Boundaries?

We had performed some concerts in South Africa a few years ago with the English Chamber Orchestra. The leader of the orchestra asked us whether we would make a record with the orchestra and we said: why not?

It was a very interesting blend – our voices with classical music. We hope people will find it enjoyable.

How does South Africa and its people influence your albums?

SA and its people influence all our albums and songs. Our lives, our families and our history is South Africa.

When people overseas listen to our CDs, they tell us that they feel as though they are in our country.

We are completely tied to our people and our tradition.

Do you get nervous attending an award ceremony like the Grammys?

Nervous? Nah. It’s excitement more than anything else - we get excited by representing our people; we’re never nervous.

Any message for your South African fans?

We love South Africa and we believe in the future of our country.

We have dedicated our lives to travelling the world and bringing SA to those who don’t know what we’ve achieved. We offer the world our homeland to enjoy and visit through our albums.

Above all, we hope our fellow citizens continue working towards a country that is the pride of the world.

We thank our friends and fans for their years of support and we hope we have represented you in the way that makes you, the people, proud.

-Damon Boyd