Strength through SONG

It's been 20 years since Ladysmith Black Mambazo appeared on Paul Simon's landmark album "Graceland," which put the South African a cappella group on the world stage. So it seemed fitting that the singers should release their first best-of album called "Long Walk to Freedom."

The Grammy-winning group this year also celebrates its 20th year of nonstop touring since that breakthrough album, as well as the 45 years since Joseph Shabalala, who still sings lead, founded the group. This album has the group's most popular songs sung with musicians such as Melissa Etheridge, Natalie Merchant and Emmylou Harris. The group performs Saturday at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa.

Fans may have seen the group recently on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," where it sang "Homeless," featuring Sarah McLachlan, which is on the album.

This was also the first time legendary South African musician Hugh Masekela appears on one of its albums. Masekela sings on "Shosholoza," a sports anthem sung in South Africa, said Albert Mazibuko, who sings tenor and is the cousin of founder Shabalala.

People sing it at games to "cheer their team on in soccer, rugby, cricket, whatever sport; this song encourages them and also this song was sung during the uprising in Soweto in 1976," Mazibuko said, from a hotel in Sunnyvale before a recent concert. "'Shosholoza' means to carry on, go forward, keep doing and don't stop."

The title track (it's also the title of Nelson Mandela's autobiography) represents "our passage as musicians because we remember how difficult it was for us to travel around," Mazibuko said. "In South Africa, we needed permission to travel. We used to be stopped by the police every time, and they asked us where are we going and we just sing for them and they let us go."

Shabalala, a farmer turned factory worker in South Africa, formed the eight-man group, which mostly consists of his brothers, cousins and, more recently, his four sons. They sing music called isicathamiya, which began in the mines of South Africa, where black workers would sing during their six-day workweeks.

"Joseph had a vision of developing this kind of music," Mazibuko said. "He wanted people to believe in themselves. Because the people thought, 'There is nothing I can do; I am black.'"

Ladysmith is the name of the group's hometown; black refers to oxen, which are the strongest of farm animals; and mambazo is the Zulu word for ax. Mazibuko said mambazo was meant to "pave the way to success with our voices."

The group started out entering singing contests held every Saturday at which the prize was a goat. One year the group won 40 goats. The singers did that for about 10 years before they released their first album in 1973.

Since "Graceland," the group has been touring eight to 10 months a year. The group sang for Pope John Paul II, performed on Broadway and more recently was the subject of an Academy Award-nominated documentary. The singers received their first Grammy in 1988 for their first U.S. release, "Shaka Zulu," produced by Paul Simon. In 2005, their album "Raise Your Spirit Higher" earned them a second Grammy.

But with success also came tragedy. In 1991, three years before the end of apartheid, Shabalala's brother Headman was shot while driving by a white security guard. "That happened a lot during the apartheid era, when black people would drive on the road and the white person would see a black person and they would just shoot you."

In 2002, Shabalala's wife of 30 years, Nellie, was murdered by a masked gunman outside their church. "Faith and music helped us because it was so devastating," Mazibuko said. "The album that won the Grammy last year, it was an album to encourage ourselves." They still don't know the motive or who hired the hit man, who is black and in jail.

In February, Shabalala's brother Jockey, 62, died from natural causes. He stopped touring with the group last year because of his health. "We are very sad about it; he was a very happy man," Mazibuko said. "He was lucky he didn't suffer.

"I think the music gives us the strength to carry on, and also we realize we have a mission to fulfill," Mazibuko said. "This is the music that helped us during apartheid. The music is for everyone. This is a mission to bring the message of peace throughout the world."

Since the group gained worldwide fame, there have been big social changes back home. White kids now befriend blacks and visit them in their townships, Mazibuko said. "They are making our country so much beautiful, because they are so together. It's very good because they just forget about what happened which was bad and now they carry on with the new life, which (is) great."

The group is now trying to raise money to build an indigenous music school in Ladysmith that will help preserve its music. While it has raised $1 million, it needs an additional $4 million.