For Ladysmith Black Mambazo, it's mostly about having hope

By Gerald M. Gay

It's hard not to crack a smile listening to Albert Mazibuko talk. The soft-spoken South African singer - one of the oldest members of the a cappella group Ladysmith Black Mambazo - is well known for his uplifting messages of happiness and spirituality. So it wasn't surprising that, even during a recent static-filled, time-constrained phone interview from South Africa, Mazibuko still managed to evoke a grin when he spoke of the group's positive attitude in an increasingly conflicted world. "We have hope," said Mazibuko, 56. "You have to have hope. For the music, that is all you need every time. Hope is important. It is what keeps us going." If that's true, then hope is what has kept Ladysmith going for more than three decades. Weaving in the sentiments of Christian gospel music with the traditional harmony style of the South African genre known as Isicathamiya, the music has led the outfit through many troubled times, including the struggles of South African apartheid. More recently, the group weathered the brutal murders of founder and lead singer Joseph Shabalala's wife, Nellie Shabalala, in 2002 and brother/former Ladysmith member Ben Shabalala in 2004. "Music is very important in getting by," Mazibuko said. "We grew up in a very tough situation. At that time our music was the only thing giving us strength to go on. I believe, even now, I'm still here and in one piece because the music was my strength." Such positive attitudes have proved hard to contain to just one country. The ensemble's hopeful repertoire has boosted Ladysmith to goodwill-ambassador status. Representing South Africa around the globe, the singers have performed with everyone from George Clinton to Dolly Parton. Paul Simon fans might recognize the group's smooth vocal harmonies from Simon's 1986 album, "Graceland." In the meantime, the performers have spread their own messages and stories about religion and their rich South African Zulu history. "When we started to sing, it was because we learned our people in South Africa were losing their traditions," Mazibuko said. "We were more interested in making sure our people knew about the traditions and reminding them of the warriors and kings of our people. We also sang about what people should do to act. Today, we go beyond those things and sing more about encouraging people to figure things out for themselves." Ladysmith's most recent collaboration, this time with the strings of the English Chamber Orchestra, is featured on the group's upcoming album, "No Boundaries," due out Tuesday. The release features Ladysmith Black Mambazo classics like the Zulu lullaby "Walil' Umtwana" mixed in with adapted classical melodies, such as Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desire." "I wouldn't say it's hard, but it definitely is challenging," Mazibuko said of adapting to the chamber-music style. "The lyrics of these different types of music are constantly challenging your talent and ability. But they are still always enjoyable to sing." The album is a contrast to the group's 2004 release, "Raise Your Spirits Higher," which stuck strictly to Ladysmith's religious-laced a cappella melodies. "Our style of singing derives from a sound from down in us," Mazibuko said. "We enjoy that way because we can change the tempo of the song or even change the way of singing the song. But we also like feeding off the instruments. It makes us stay focused. It is a good thing to be disciplined and on track." Ladysmith's visit to Centennial Hall on Sunday is the first stop on the group's four -month U.S. tour. The show will not include instrumental accompaniment, but Mazibuko assures there will be plenty of smiles to go around. "We have been dancing and preparing regularly for this trip," Mazibuko said. "We want to make sure we are the best of the best."