By Jon Lewis,

Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a South African ensemble that doubles as globe-trotting evidence of the all-encompassing and universal nature of music, brings its cultural celebration to Redding’s Cascade Theatre on Feb. 7. It’s not the words necessarily – after all, few in the Redding audience are expected to be fluent in Zulu – but the spirit of the music that has allowed the band to connect with listeners the world over.

"We think the style in the way we sing, and the message of our songs, has a way of moving past the language barrier,” suggested Albert Mazibuko, a band member since1969, in a telephone and e-mail interview from his home in South Africa. The band was formed in the 1960s by Joseph Shabalala, who named the group after Ladyship, the name of Shabalala’s township; Black, a reference to oxen, the strongest of farm animals; and Mambazo, the Zulu word for ax, chosen to symbolize the band’s ability to chop down the competition at regional singing competitions.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo sings a traditional music developed in South Africa’s mines. Black workers were taken by railcars to work in the mines and after grueling six-day work weeks, the miners would entertain themselves on Sundays by singing and dancing. The workers called themselves Cothoza Mfana, or “tip-toe guys,” in reference to the dance steps designed to avoid disturbing camp security guards.

The band’s popularity, fueled by its success in local competitions, continued to grow in South Africa until a fateful introduction to American pop singer Paul Simon, who incorporated Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s densely layered Zulu rhythms into his seminal 1986 release “Graceland.” “‘Graceland’ opened the world to us. It shined a light on us and on world music in general. People wanted to know more about African music,” Mazibuko said. The love of African rhythms grew, along with the band’s role as South Africa’s leading cultural emissaries.

In 1993, at Nelson Mandela’s request, the band accompanied then-South African President F.W. de Klerk to the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, Norway. The following year, Ladysmith Black Mambazo sang at Nelson Mendala’s presidential inauguration. Mazibuko said the band’s mission is one of celebrating South African culture and spreading a universal message of spirituality and brotherhood – a mission made all the more timely given the strife and despair brought about by wars and natural disasters. “This is why we called our last CD ‘Raise Your Spirit Higher.’ We all need to raise our spirit to a higher place in such turbulent times,” Mazibuko said. The album, released to coincide with the 10-year anniversary of the end of apartheid, also reflects on a personal tragedy that struck the group in 2002 when Nellie Shabalala, band founder Joseph Shabalala’s wife of 30 years, was murdered by a masked gunman outside the couple’s church. “At the time that this happened, I tried to take my mind deep into the spirit, because I know the truth is there,” said Shabalala in an interview posted on the band’s Web site. “In my flesh, I might be angry, I might cry, I might suspect somebody. But when I took my mind into the spirit, the spirit told me to be calm and not to worry. Band things happen, and the only thing to do is raise your spirit higher.”

Ladysmith Black Mambazo is embarking on a three-month tour of the United States but the band is no stranger to California, according to Mazibuko. “We have been performing throughout all of California, especially Northern California, for almost 20 years. We have been welcomed back every time with open arms. It’s a wonderful part of the country to visit.”

Fans in the North State can expect an energetic celebration of South African culture, Mazibuko promised. “We try to perform special every night and it’s important to share our culture with people. Many people say they love our concerts because they are unable to visit South Africa, the land of Mandela and Tutu. They capture a piece of that by coming to our show.”

In addition to its work with Paul Simon, Black Mambazo has recorded with artists like Stevie Wonder, Dolly Parton, The Wynans, Julia Fordham, George Clinton, The Corrs and Ben Harper.

“No Boundaries,” a classical crossover recording with The English Chamber Orchestra, was released in January.

Tickets for the 8 p.m. performance are priced at $26, $29 and $32. For ticket information, call the Cascade Theatre box office at 243-8877 or visit www.cascadetheatre.org.