Ladysmith Black Mambazo (SA)

Tue 04/10/2022 - 20:00

Ticket prices

€ 24 (section 1) - € 22 (section 2) - € 17 (section 3)

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A world-class choir in Leuven! Ladysmith Black Mambazo has been a renowned a cappella choir for more than 50 years. The groups sings of the struggles and passion of the South African people in an inimitable way.

They sing according to one of the most important traditions in Zulu music: multi-part singing or Isicathamiya. Black miners, far from home, found relaxation in singing and Joseph Shabalala, the front man of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, moulded this tradition into something irresistible. Christian hymns and American gospel are merged together to form a pure and proud singing style.

The name Ladysmith Black Mambazo came about after winning many singing competitions. Ladysmith is the home of the Shabalala family. Black refers to the strong, black oxen on the farm. Mambazo is Zulu for axe, with which they proverbially knocked the competition down a peg in singing contests.

The group made their breakthrough at the end of the 1980s when Paul Simon recorded a few songs with them for his ground-breaking album Graceland. In 1987, they won a Grammy Award for Shaka Zulu and gained worldwide recognition. Since then, they have sold millions of albums. The singers have travelled the world and have collaborated with Emmylou Harris, Zap Mama, etc. and stood by the side of Nelson Mandela.

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photo Bugs Steffen