The South African a cappella group rocketed to global fame for their role on Paul Simon’s landmark Graceland. They have continued their outstanding performances in everything from the Lion King II to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in their home country. The four-time Grammy Award winners will serenade Shanghai on August 9. When we met up, they took us through their journey so far.
Is there a story behind the name Ladysmith Black Mambazo?
The founder of the group is Joseph Shabalala, who was raised on a farm outside the town of Ladysmith, South Africa. As a farmer, Joseph loved the black ox, as it was the most powerful animal on the farm. When he formed his music group he wanted to honor the black ox by using the word Black in his group’s name. Mambazo is the Zulu word for ‘chopping axe.’ This was to symbolize the voices for the group. They were as powerful as chopping axes. So, the Black Mambazo’s of Ladysmith or… Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
And how did you pick your members?
Joseph chose members of his family to be in his group. The membership kept changing in the early years from the 1970s to 1980s. Brothers, cousins and childhood friends found international fame together. When Joseph had his four sons join the group in the early 1990s, the next generation of Ladysmith Black Mambazo was born. They have now been with the group for over twenty years and, in fact, the group now has its third generation – Joseph’s first grandson – singing with it.
It isn’t just being part of the family that makes you a member of Ladysmith Black Mambazo. You must have the dedication to carry the burden of traveling away from home and family for up to seven months each year, while rehearsing five days each week when you stay at home. And one must understand and respect the mission of the group, which is to spread the message of peace, love and harmony from South Africa to all parts of the world.
It’s interesting to know that you were ‘too good to enter’ any competitions in South Africa in the 1960s but were welcomed as guest performers.
Yes, it was a big compliment but it was frustrating because without being allowed to compete we were being stopped from earning the winnings. When the record company, Gallo Records, signed us to a contract and started making records for us, this is when we knew we were reaching new levels. We didn’t know where this would go but we never thought it would take us out of South Africa. Of course, with apartheid still happening, we certainly could not dream too big.
How different is it to do what you do in South Africa today compared to back then?
It was very difficult back in the 1960s and 1970s in South Africa. With apartheid we were limited to where and when we could travel. We always had to have permits to travel outside our local districts. Certainly traveling for singing competitions wasn’t something the government was big on allowing. There were times when we would be pulled over by the police and we would explain why we were traveling. They would make us stand on the road and sing to prove that we really were a singing group. Of course when Nelson Mandela was freed and the government stopped apartheid it helped make things much easier.
What was the experience like collaborating with Paul Simon?
It was an incredible experience. Here was a world-famous musician, and he wanted us to sing on his record. When this was happening we still did not know what to expect. We didn’t know we would be traveling the world with him doing concerts. At first we were just trying to create songs with him. We left South Africa to meet him in London and spent several days working very hard to create the songs. To work at the level of professionalism he had was a great education for us. Then it ended up that the album was extremely popular. It was 1986 and he told us we were going to go on his concert tour. It was amazing and opened many doors for us.
It must’ve been a big transition from being local stage performers to an international music group. Did you face any setbacks?
It was a huge challenge for us. Suddenly we were performing in front of 20,000 people. Then 40,000 people, and sometimes even larger crowds. We knew we had to rise to a higher level of professionalism. We are proud to say we did not have any setbacks, but it was difficult. So much new traveling and performing made us need to focus a lot more. The group’s members learned to be strong in their dedication. Joseph was very proud of all of us.
What was your most unforgettable performing experience?
There have been many incredible experiences for us but we always look back to December 1993. That was when Nelson Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He asked us to join him for his trip to Oslo and asked us to perform at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. This was truly an amazing moment for us because it was an important time for South Africa. It was the ultimate honor and we will never feel any prouder than we did when we were singing at that ceremony for the crowd and for Nelson Mandela.
You worked with incredible teams like The Lion King and with renowned artists like Paul Simon. How much have you grown through these experiences?
We feel that part of what has allowed us to continue on, now over fifty years, is our ability to sing with artists who have different styles. It has allowed us to adapt and try new ways of doing things, and reach new audiences in the process. Even though we are this small group from a small town in South Africa, singing traditional Zulu music in acapella style, we are able to adapt and play with others.
How do you feel about your four Grammy wins?
Can you believe that!? Not only four Grammy Awards, but fifteen Grammy nominations. Also, that we won our most recent award in 2014. It shows us that we are staying strong in our style and that the professionals in the music business still think we have something to offer. After this many years, people seem to think we are still going strong. It helps us to maintain the level of dedication we need to continue to receive these honors. We’re not done yet. We hope to win another Grammy Award next year and even the year after that!
What is the motivation behind your music?
We believe in our history and our people. Our style of singing is based on that. For us to continue to sing as we do allows our history to continue, the history of South Africa. This is why we travel around the world. This is why we look forward to our trip to China. To share the music and story of South Africa. We want to be part of the bridge of friendship between our peoples. We hope our mission is successful.
// August 9, 7.30pm, RMB50-380. Shanghai Daning Theatre, tickets.
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