Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Item: Heavenly
Author: Shari Lloyd

Heavenly

(1997)

Reviewed by Shari Lloyd

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Label Shanachie EntertainmentThe Phantom Tollbooth1997

folk gospel world

Ladysmith Black Mambazo and I have had a flirting relationship for the past several years. They always interested me because of their discovery by Paul Simon and their starring in a Broadway play (The Song of Jacob Zulu), but never enough to pick up their CD. A quick listen at the in-store listening post quickly convinced me that now was the time to give them a try. This album accessibility seemed to finally break the barrier.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo usually sing in a Zulu style called isicathamiya, a solo voice (Joseph Shabalala, the main vocalist and group founder) with everyone else singing in wonderful choral harmonies, which was developed by black workers in the mines and factories of South Africa. Separated from their homes and families, the workers would entertain themselves by singing in their barracks on Saturday nights.

Their new release from this enormously talented group, titled "Heavenly," is a wonderful project which features several guests, including Bonnie Raitt (bottleneck guitar), Nathan East (bass), Dolly Parton, and Lou Rawls.

Musically, the album is a mix of songs that Joseph Shabalala composed with well-known Gospel standards, including Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," Edwin Hawkins's "Oh Happy Day," Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready," Billy Joel's "River of Dreams," and Sam Cooke's "Chain Gang." They are songs that are to "serve as a prayer for bringing back hope." This 13 song album weaves the traditional Zulu music together with r&b, pop, folk, and gospel. Especially memorable is Shabalala's narrative during "Take My Hand Precious Lord," describing the Lord actually doing that on Dorsey's last day, leading him to eternity.

This album shows a wealth of musical influences. We sometimes forget where a lot of the musical roots of our current music come from. It's easy to hear the relationship between Zulu music and the American Black Spirituals which, in turn, influenced much of the standards on the album and now influence the Ladysmith Black Mambazo's music. This album is definitely "Heavenly."

4.5 tocks