INTERVIEW: Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Tuesday March 15, 2011

from Cville
By Andrew Cedermark

A Conversation with Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s Albert Mazubiko

Ladysmith Black Mambazo may have achieved international recognition from singing with Paul Simon on Graceland, but its staying power as the world’s most prominent South African choral group is something its members earned from 41 years of unflagging dedication. Albert Mazibuko, one of the group’s original members, chose to keep us on our toes when asked about performing “Homeless” at the Paramount Wednesday night. But he had much to say about the group’s recent work.

What songs are you most excited about performing on this tour?

We are most looking forward to the songs from our most recent album, Songs from a Zulu Farm. This is the album that took us back to our childhood. There is a one that is talking about a donkey that has been chasing people, which is one of the songs that we used to sing as children. Some of the farm songs have been expanded, because traditionally they are chants, but most of them on the album are just as they were originally.

During the recording of these songs we were talking among ourselves and decided to ask our friends from here in America if they grew up with any farm songs, and every time they said “Old MacDonald.” So in our concerts we sing that but sing it in Zulu and it is wonderful. Every time we perform this song we invite the audience to join us. This is a very joyful album. We wanted to have joy this time, because for a while we have been singing songs about freedom.

When you mention freedom your 1993 album comes to mind.

Yes, Liph’ Iqiniso. Those are the songs that we were singing to celebrate the end of apartheid in South Africa. Every time we write music we want to send a message to the people and unite them, and at the time our message was that freedom has arrived. And then some of the people were confused, so they started to fight among themselves for power, so we were just trying to send that message to stop fighting and just get together. As the saying says, united we stand and divided we fall.

Vusi Mahlasela recently came to Charlottesville, and we are very good friends with him. Because Vusi grew up in the ’70s when there was uprising, he encouraged people to fight for freedom in his music, which is all very inspiring. We admire him very much.

Read the full interview here

Zulu Laduma	3:02	Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Thalaza	4:00	Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Ixegezi	2:12	Ladysmith Black Mambazo

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