Live In Concert!
LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO

Morristown Community Theater
Morristown, NJ 1/22/99
By
Dave Merrill

The Community Theater in Morristown, NJ was originally an old RKO movie theater. The aging plaster on the walls was not a facade as so many people create on the walls of their homes today. It was real. Seating slopes back from the stage area, where Flash Gordon serials used to delight children, and the balcony sections slope upward to the back wall overhead. I was seated in the balcony, where I had a perfect view of the stage. The venue only holds five hundred people, so there could be no bad seats. As a result, the venue created an atmosphere somewhere between a large bar and a stadium, somewhat intimate and much cleaner than either of those can be. Well designed acoustics allowed sound to carry well to all of the seats. As I looked over the crowd from my vantage point, I saw people ranging from the few children present to the elderly. "Ladysmith's" fans come in all shapes and sizes.

Shortly after eight o'clock an announcer's voice piped in over the speakers to introduce the group. The ten members of "Ladysmith Black Mambazo" filed onto the stage from the right, and took their places in front of their waiting microphone stands. Joseph Shabalala's microphone was in front of the others. Behind them, what I assume was the South African flag hung from a black curtain. They began to sing, with the deep backing vocals of Shabalala's bandmates createing a deceptively simple backdrop to his higher lead vocal. The clicks of the Zulu language created divots in the smooth musical landscape, but did not interrupt uninvited. The repetition served to lull and mesmerize the listener, allowing Shabalala's yells to punctuate and foreshadow the dancing. They began to dance in the "Cothoza Mfana" manner, putting their hands on their heads and high kicking, then setting their feet down softly. The music and dance were born in the South African mines during Apartheid. "Cothoza Mfana," or "Tip-toe guys," so named because the dancing was designed to keep from waking the guards.

At the close of the first song, Joseph Shabalala explained that the song's title means, "Open The Gates." He went on to introduce the next song with its meaning, "At Last I've Found Someone To Trust." A warm energy suffused the room as the rumbling harmony began. As with the first song, they built the rhythm slowly, creating a backdrop for Shabalala to pierce with his calls. This marked a rise in energy, bringing the singers into motion. Their dancing was sharp and choppy in contrast to the smooth sound of the vocals. Some of the voices acted as percussion. "Ladysmith" uses no instruments other than their voices. It's enough.

Joseph Shabalala explained that the next song as "About the misunderstanding between the old generation and the new." A lot of this song was in English. The singers argued as an introduction to the song and its theme. Much of the song was in English, but they still did some Zulu dancing during it. Some of the moves reminded me of the ones Johnnie Clegg uses in the Zulu war dance in his shows. They were slow and fluid first, then sharp and explosive.

The next song was "Heavenly," from their last album. Joseph said, "One day we will all sing it together in Heaven." Another performer interjected, "Isn't that wonderful?" The audience's reply was "Yes." Blowing, which nearly sounds like a whistle, was interspersed through the song. Joseph sang high and danced a bit more in the song, using his band as a backdrop for both. Much of the next song was in English too. It was about a girl named Paulina. They sang "Do what you like. Why don't you touch me hold me." As they sang "Get away from those who want to touch, touch. . .," they raised their hands, "And kiss, kiss," they kissed.

"This is a Zulu dance song, to show you where this music comes from." The music built layer upon layer of harmony, with voices high and low. Sometimes they'd whistle. They began setting the beat by clapping, which foreshadowed the beginning of the dancing. Joseph danced first, but then other members of "Ladysmith," came forward to join him. I could recognize steps like those in the Zulu war dance, but a couple of the group members broke into the "Twist" for a moment. Some of them went into the audience to bring couples on stage, and soon there were about twenty up there, including two young boys. Joseph got them all clapping to the rhythm, then instructed them in some dance moves. Some people even tried the high kicking. When they were done, he thanked them all for participating, sending them back into the audience, but he kept the two boys back to ask their names. He gave Chris and Max a special thank you for participating, then sent them back to their seats. While all of this went on, the singers continued keeping the beat. Six of the "Ladysmith" members began dancing, while the other four sang.

Once the song ended, Joseph went to his microphone and thanked us all for coming. We were stunned as he said that was the end of the show, but he revealed his joke quickly, saying that it was really only a fifteen minute intermission. It was just about 9:00. Many people stayed in their seats during the break, and at about 9:25 the lights began to dim again. "Ladysmith Black Mambazo" danced back on stage singing, their voices growing louder as they neared their microphones. This song followed the same pattern of the others. They built the rhythm in the first half, then danced during the second half.

Their next song was "Tandiwa," but I am probably spelling it incorrectly. The repetition of rhythm and words was mesmerizing. It was about a girl who dated many losers. A religious song was next, praising Jesus and the Lord. It repeated the same lines many times, like a mantra. Joseph introduced the next song saying, "The following song is to promote peace. Take everyone as your brother or your sister and there will be peace." The singers faced away from their microphones and the audience, and danced and sang softly at the beginning of the song. I was particularly impressed with the song because even the syllables in the words helped to create a rhythm.

"The next song says, 'I miss the place where I was born. I miss the mountains and the birds who sing beautiful music'." The music was simple, yet complex at the same time. It was dense, everything blended into a cohesive whole, but if you picked out the individual voices, many different sounds were happening at once. Joseph announced that the next song would be their last, and he dedicated it to the mineworker. It was a call and answer song, and the singers came out two by two to dance. The tempo increased as the song progressed, and they continued to sing as Joseph thanked the audience for coming to listen. The singing continued for a while, until they exited the stage.

After some audience encouragement, "Ladysmith" returned to the stage. Joseph announced the new "Ladysmith" website at www.Mambazo.com. "This song says, 'Father almighty, please help us. We sleep in the cliffs. The winds destroy our homes. We are homeless'." It was the song "Homeless," which is included on their new CD, "Best Of . . . Volume 2." A beautiful call and answer song, there was a serenity found in their music unlike any other. When they finished the song, they joined hands and took a deep bow. "Ladysmith Black Mambazo" closed to a standing ovation.

Artist: LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO Title: "The Best Of Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Volume Two" Label: Shanache Rating: 4 Stars

Recently, I've had a host of non-standard albums to review; a couple of compilation disks, three live disks, and now "The Best Of Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Volume Two." On one level, this is the toughest kind of CD to review; on another, it's the easiest. It's easy because these songs have already been reviewed by the world and received it's stamp of approval. I have no need to cull this album for negative feedback. These songs are the ones that, for the last two decades, have brought "Ladysmith" their reputation for excellence, unsurpassed by any other South African musical group. Yet, that is also what makes an album like this tough to review. What can I say, that hasn't already been said in a dozen other reviews? Can I at least say it better? Probably not, but I still have to try.

One thing I can do, is bring my readers my own unique experience with discovering this band. I came to my knowledge of "Ladysmith" by a rather circuitous route. It seems like their name has been in the background of my knowledge for a very long time. I remember hearing about "Shaka Zulu," their first album in the U. S., when it came out, but I didn't buy it. I was peripherally aware of Paul Simon's "Graceland," album and their involvement in the record, but I've never owned it. My mother owns it and loves it, though. It's more my interest in South African rock, like Johnnie Clegg's bands, "Juluka," and "Johnnie Clegg and Savuka," that sparked my interest in "Ladysmith Black Mambazo." Like "Ladysmith," Clegg utilizes Zulu war dancing and call-and-response style singing. I discovered "Ladysmith" was coming to the U. S. in January, which made it a natural for me to explore this great singing group now.

Joseph Shabalala, founder of "Ladysmith Black Mambazo," began singing in the fifties, when he moved from his family's farm to Durban, South Africa to work in the mines. After a six day work week, the miners would spend Sunday singing Mbebe harmonies and dancing in the quiet Cothoza Mfana (Tip-toe guys) style. He returned to the farm in Ladysmith, where he tried putting together his own singing group. Until 1964, he was unsuccessful, never quite realizing the sound he wanted to achieve. That year, the sound came to him in a dream. He pulled a singing group together from family members; his brothers Headman and Jockey, and his two cousins, Albert and Abednego. He taught them the harmonies he heard in his dreams and "Ladysmith Black Mambazo" was born.

Today, Headman is gone, victim of an off duty private security guard's bullet in 1991, but Shabalala's sons have joined the group. The current line up of "Ladysmith Black Mambazo" is Joseph Shabalala, his brother Jockey, sons Sibongiseni, Thamsanqa and Thulani, cousins Albert and Abednego Mazibuko, Russel Mthembu, Inos Phungula and Jabulani Dubazana.

The name "Ladysmith Black Mambazo" comes from three separate sources joined together. Ladysmith is the South African town the group calls home. Black oxen were considered the strongest on South African farms. Mambazo, the Zulu word for ax, symbolizes how the group could cut down their opponents in singing competitions, which they did with regularity. Ultimately, they weren't allowed to compete because they always won, but they were always invited to perform.

Many of the songs on "The Best Of Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Volume 2" have never been released in the United States. As I listened to the traditional Zulu songs, I could imagine singers sitting around a campfire, singing out into the night. There's a relaxed serenity offered to the listener in these songs. "Limnandi Evangeli" distinguishes itself with rolling tongue in places. "Igazi Lemihlatshelo" is a bit more energized than some of the other songs. "Homeless," a song from Paul Simon's "Graceland," appears here in a form that was never released in the U. S. The song has some English lines in it, "Somebody sing. . .somebody cry/ Why why why?" I found it to be a highlight on the album.

The repetition of tones can relax and lull the listener. Many of the songs end with harmony on "Amen, amen, Alleluia." Layer upon layer of harmony drifts over the ears like warm water. "Ujesu Wami" features the title repeated in background harmony. The repetition has an interesting effect on the ear, abruptly stopping and starting because of the nature of the words themselves. One of the more interesting parts of the Zulu language is the tongue clicking. There is much of it on "Vuka Jona Sithandaze," making the song stand out. "Zintombi" is an excellent example of call and response style singing. It opens with Joseph's yelled call, and the deep voiced responses are warm and engaging. This was my favorite song on the album. I found the last few songs a bit more interesting than the early ones. Differentiation of vocal highs and lows is better than on the earlier songs, giving them more energy. "Siyawadinga Amandla" was particularly good.

"Ladysmith Black Mambazo" is known as a veritable ambassador for South Africa. They present traditional songs in a format the whole world can enjoy. Their "Best of. . .Volume 2" album is a great way to get to know them.