Ladysmith Black Mambazo still strong, 50 years on
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PRETORIA — As a young black man in apartheid South Africa, Joseph Shabalala dreamed of forming a Zulu capella choir whose music could change the world.
Fifty years later, Ladysmith Black Mambazo have won three Grammys, recorded with giants like Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder, and performed at the closing of the World Cup in July.
But as the group turns 50, they are celebrating with a “Back to eKasi” tour, translated roughly as “Back to the ‘Hood,’” performing through the townships whose support launched them to international fame.
Shabalala first brought the choir together on a farm near the town of Ladysmith. They started out singing at weddings, then took to the airwaves in radio singing contests, where they were eventually banned — because they won every time.
“It is a good way to go back with people. They show up, that means they love you,” Shabalala said before a concert in Atteridgeville, a township outside Pretoria..... MORE
Source: The Daily Tribune
URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20101005com5.html
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