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Concert Pick/ Interview
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Atlanta Journal Constitution, Concert Pick/ Interview >>
Albert Mazibuko can't put his finger on it, but each time he performs in Atlanta he feels a special connection to the city.
Perhaps it's Atlanta's status as the cradle of the U.S. civil rights movement. Or the home of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Or the city's role in the international call to end the South African system of apartheid in Mazibuko's country.
"Atlanta is different," said Mazibuko, one of the oldest members of the Grammy-winning group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Mazibuko, 57, plans to explore the Atlanta mystique this month, when Ladysmith Black Mambazo performs Feb. 25 at the Rialto Center for the Performing Arts. He hopes to visit King's crypt at the King Center and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, places that he's missed on previous visits. "I never read a history of the place [Atlanta], but it gives you the feeling that you need to try to make the place you live in a better place," he said. After more than two decades of touring the United States, Mazibuko is still amazed at the number of people who attend the group's concerts in Atlanta and elsewhere. "It's growing, and people keep coming," he said. "I think maybe it's a gift that God has given us that we share with the people. The music touches them deeply, and it does the same for me. If I have pain or something is bothering me, as soon as I go into rehearsal, it stops. The music heals me." The group's U.S. tour comes on the heels of a 2005 Grammy for Best Traditional World Music Album for "Raise Your Spirit Higher" and a nomination for the album "No Boundaries" with the strings of the English Chamber Orchestra. Road to stardom Paul Simon is largely credited with introducing the singing group to the world on his "Graceland" album, but Ladysmith Black Mambazo was formed much earlier in 1960 by leader and musical director Joseph Shabalala. The group achieved stardom at home as one of the top performers of South African and Zulu music in the traditional style, called Isicathamiya (pronounced is-cot-a-me-ya). According to the group's Web site, the music became a way black mine workers would entertain themselves. The workers, separated for long periods of time and many miles from their families, would gather to sing songs and dance. Often the dancing would be on tiptoes to escape the attention of camp guards. Over time, various groups would hold competitions, and winners were given a goat for their efforts. Mazibuko, Shabalala's cousin, said he has no problem with Simon getting credit for their huge overseas success. In fact, he considers it a blessing: "That's where most people learned about our music." Their global popularity has grown ever since. In 1993, the group accompanied former South African President Nelson Mandela to the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, Norway. A year later, they performed at Mandela's inauguration in South Africa. Recently, the group released its latest album "Long Walk to Freedom," a collection of traditional Mambazo songs, featuring guest vocalists such as Melissa Etheridge, Zap Mama led by Marie Daulne, Taj Mahal and Natalie Merchant. Mazibuko said the group's music has always offered encouragement, reminding listeners that they are in the world for a reason. His comment segues to the topic of today's music. Mazibuko said he would like to see more collaborations with young U.S. artists, who are popular in South Africa as well. "They are so talented," he said. "I think we should influence them to write more positive music. I know when it comes to writing music everyone expresses what they're feeling, but I think they should open their eyes and see all the blessings around them. If you sing about good things and talk about them, you become a good person." Local performances Ladysmith Black Mambazo is just one of several high-profile international acts performing regularly in Atlanta. Jenifer Shepherd, a publicist with Bloomington, Ind.-based rock paper scissors, a firm specializing in world music, represents Ladysmith Black Mambazo as well as Cape Verdean singer Lura, who recently performed in Atlanta in her native Portuguese and Crioulo. The first challenge is finding a venue that will promote world artists, Shepherd said. But it's also important to have a diaspora interested in "connecting with home." In Lura's case, she said, many in the audience were from the small string of islands off Africa's western coast. "While other people may come to the concert to experience this music as being something new to them, a lot of people come from the diaspora from that nation." Leslie Gordon, director of the Rialto, said the center tries to establish partnerships with local international communities whenever an act comes to town. Recently, the Indian dance company, Gajamukha, performed at the 833-seat Rialto. The center worked with the Atlanta-based Gandhi Foundation of USA, to spread the word in the Indian community. Similar arrangements will be made when the Peru Negro dance company performs March 18. But in the case of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, which has a huge following that crosses ethnic, cultural and country lines, it's not necessary to specifically target South Africans. Amelia Gagu Mfezane Harris, a school counselor who hopes to soon release a Christian album, has seen the group perform in her native South Africa and in the United States. When she moved to the United States 18 years ago, Harris said few international acts came through the city. There are more now, but she notes that with "Atlanta being an international city, we would love to see more."
-Shelia Poole
02/16/06 >> go there
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