How fitting that Ladysmith Black Mambazo should be in town Sunday, just before Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This amazing South African vocal harmony and dance group will focus on material from their just-out album, "Ilembe," which celebrates the warrior Shaka Zulu. He united the disparate tribes into a singular force, the Zulu Nation, that enabled South Africans to persevere amid the European domination of their country for nearly two centuries of apartheid.

Most songs on the album (the title translates as "The Greatest Warrior") are in Zulu dialect. Still there's no missing the rich emotion and spirituality running through this bliss-inducing work - earnest entreaties to overcome obstacles, treasure that which is pure and attainable, and trust in God.

Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center, Broad and Spruce streets, 3 p.m. Sunday, $39-$65, 215-893-1999, www.kimmelcenter.org.

 By:  Jonathan Takiff