|
|
 |
CD Review
|
| Click Here to go back. |
CMJ, CD Review >>
The South African isicathamiya (a harmonic, a cappella style that originated in South Africa and is traditionally performed by an all-male choir) group and two-time Grammy winners Ladysmith Black Mambazo have been making smooth, crisp cuts through cultural barriers since the '60s—mambazo, after all, is Zulu for "axe"—with a wide swath of fans that includes Paul Simon, the British Royal Family and fellow countryman and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Nelson Mandela.
Ilembe, which roughly translates to "The Greatest Warrior," pays homage to Shaka Zulu, the famed 18th century leader who united the myriad Zulu tribes throughout southern Africa. A voracious but disciplined warrior with an insatiable vision of a unity, Shaka was the founder of a nation and one of the continent's greatest leaders in history. Band leader and founder Joseph Shabalala sets his multi-facetted stories to music, and by doing so fashions an album of soulful, somber chants and uplifting, harmonic celebrations. The song "Kuyafundw' Osizini"—"Learning From The Obstacles"—tells Shaka Zulu's story, focusing on his ability to learn from experience.
Christian spirituality, long a theme in Mambazo's music, also complements the band's tribute to their ancestral struggles and Zulu roots. In a moving moment of liner-note congruence, an inscription below the lyrics to "This Is the Way We Do" reads "One's strength is made perfect in weakness." 01/08/08 >> go there
|
| Click Here to go back. |
|
 |
|
|
|
