Musical lore has it that Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the iconic South African mbube group, was founded by Joseph Shabalala after a series of dreams in which he heard its sounds. It goes unmentioned whether Shabalala dreamed of 50 years' worth of worldwide success as perhaps the best-known cultural export of South Africa.
Most people can't say the group's name without thinking of Paul Simon, and true to form, at KEXP the group performed its Simon-less version of Graceland's "Homeless," which host Darek Mazzone aptly describes as timelessly evoking a sense of love. Ladysmith Black Mambazo has continued after Joseph's 2008 retirement under the direction of his son Thamsanqa, and the group came to us with a full roster, including three of Shabalala's other sons. Enjoy one of the most historically important and musically distinctive groups of the last century as Ladysmith Black Mambazo fills the KEXP studio.
Set List
Watch Ladysmith Black Mambazo's full performance on KEXP's YouTube channel.
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