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Concert Preview
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University of North Carolina Wilmington, Concert Preview >>
Wilmington, NC - Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a South African vocal group, performs at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21 in Kenan Auditorium at University of North Carolina Wilmington. The ten person a cappella ensemble has millions of fans worldwide who enjoy their stage presence and uplifting harmonies. The event is presented as part of UNCW Presents Arts in Action Performance Series.
For more than 30 years, Ladysmith Black Mambazo has intertwined the intricate rhythms and harmonies of their native South African musical traditions to the sounds and sentiments of gospel music. The result is a musical and spiritual alchemy that has touched a wide audience representing every corner of the religious, cultural and ethnic landscape.
Assembled in the early 1960s in South Africa by Joseph Shabalala, then a young farm boy, the group took the name Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Ladysmith is the name of Shabalala's rural hometown. Black is a reference to oxen - the strongest of all farm animals, and Mambazo is the Zulu word for axe - a symbol of the group's ability to chop down any singing rival who might challenge them. Their collective voices were so tight and their harmonies so polished that they were eventually banned from competitions, although they were welcome to participate strictly as entertainers.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo's first U.S. album, Shaka Zulu, was produced by Paul Simon and won the 1987 Grammy Award for best traditional folk album. Since then they have been nominated for an additional six Grammies, including a 2001 nomination for Live From Royal Albert Hall. A documentary film about the group, On Tip Toe: Gentle Steps to Freedom, was nominated for an Academy Award for best short documentary in 2001.
The group has recorded with numerous artists including Stevie Wonder, Dolly Parton, George Clinton and Ben Harper. Their film work includes a featured appearance in Michael Jackson's video Moonwalker and Spike Lee's Do It A Cappella. Black Mambazo provided soundtrack material for Disney's The Lion King Part II, Eddie Murphy's Coming To America, Marlon Brando's A Dry White Season, and James Earl Jones's Cry The Beloved Country. Their performance with Paul Simon on Sesame Street is one of the top three requested segments in the show's history.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo is versed in English, French, Zulu, various African dialects, doo-wop and gospel.
BOX OFFICE AND TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets are $6 for university and area students, $14 for UNCW faculty/staff and senior citizens, and $18 for all others. For tickets and information, call the Kenan Box Office at 910.962.3500 or 800.732.3643 or visit www.uncw.edu/arts. Ticket office hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and an hour and a half prior to the performance. To request a season brochure, call the UNCW Presents office at 910.962.7971 or visit www.uncw.edu/arts.
ABOUT UNCW ARTS IN ACTION PERFORMANCE SERIES
UNCW Presents Arts in Action Performance Series seeks to culturally enrich, educate and entertain both students and the general public through the presentation of diverse programs featuring professional, high-quality performing artists. For more information, please visit www.uncw.edu/arts. UNCW Presents is a member of the NC Presenters Consortium and the US National Association of Performing Arts Presenters. The 150 member venues of the NC Presenters Consortium may be visited at www.presenters.org. 02/10/06 >> go there
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