Ladysmith Black Mambazo in action
One night in 1969, a young man from South Africa had a life-changing dream. His grandmother appeared to him and said his cousins would help him achieve his dream - which was music. When he woke up the next morning, he couldn't wait to meet his cousins. They were soon convinced, and on that day, learned two new songs written by the dreamer, Joseph Shabalala, who founded one of the most successful male choral groups in South African history.
That's how the legend of Ladysmith Black Mambazo (LBM) rolled out. In the nearly five decades since then, LBM has produced over 50 albums, mostly gold and platinum discs, and won four Grammy awards. Nelson Mandela used to be an LBM fan and invited them to sing at his inauguration as South Africa's president in 1994, and later, at his birthday party. He also designated them "ambassadors of South African culture and music."
This summer, LBM ingrained their footprints in China with a tour of six cities. They brought to Chinese the music that had inspired and supported South Africans through all their struggles. In an interview with ChinAfrica, LBM's Albert Mazibuko, who listened to Joseph Shabalala's dream, shared his thoughts on their China tour, music, and the group's past, present and future.
ChinAfrica: How was your China tour?
Albert Mazibuko: The Chinese audience surprised me. A few years ago, some people told me that Chinese were very shy and always busy with their phone. But that's not true. After we started singing, they responded to the music so well. Of course, the language was kind of a barrier when we spoke to them, but that didn't take away the enjoyment of the music. Sometimes, when it was time to clap, they did that very well. In the last song, we got them singing with us. They sang so well. It was a wonderful moment.
I've also had a good time in China. I've seen the countryside and cities. It's beautiful. I saw the culture and how people here live. The greatest thing is food because Chinese food is my favorite. During our tour in [the United States] and England, I looked for Chinese restaurants. Even in South Africa. Here the food is everywhere, and it's amazing.
What has made LBM's music survive ever-changing trends over the past decades?
Our music goes with time because our music is always addressing what's going on around the world and people's lives. When we started the group, for instance, we sang about uniting people in South Africa, reminding them of King Shaka [one of the most influential Zulu kings] and how powerful we can be when working together. We taught history through our music. It was motivating people to work together, to fight for freedom, and fight to make them better and believe "I'm important."
Now, we are singing about development, how people can develop themselves and perfect their lives. I think that's what makes LBM important to the people who want to hear our music.
LBM has been essentially a family chorus. Why do you want to keep it that way?
Family is the culture of South Africa. When you do something, you do it with your family. And your neighbors and friends are welcome to join you. It has been like that from the beginning. Even now, we have four of Joseph's sons, grandsons, cousins and brothers, and we have two friends. So it's still a family. This is how I think it's going to be because we still have younger generations from the family who want to join.
That's sometimes the secret of voice blending. If we come from one family, the tones in our voices are the same. We stick to Joseph's teaching. So everyone who comes to join the group will practice with us and sing the way Joseph wants. That's the style we maintain and keep it pure all the time.
What sort of message do you aim to convey through your music?
We encourage people to improve. Don't be satisfied with what you are now, try to be the best. Because there's a person inside you who's the best, let the person shine so people can see, and they will be encouraged by the idea "I can be better."
We also encourage people to stay with their culture and remember where we come from. Don't leave the history behind, because there's a saying that "in order to know where you are going, you have to know where you are coming from." Our singing is about where we are coming from, where we are now, the future and how we can make it better.
What do you think of the development of a cappella [music without instrumental accompaniment] music in recent years?
I think we are facing great challenges. If you sing a cappella music, it seems like you are not going to be as famous as people who use instruments because you won't make a big noise or make people crazy about you. But I think a cappella music is very important. Joseph used to say, "Let's use our voice undiluted."
You know, nature itself can sing. Frogs can sing, and they have different voices. So do the birds. That's where we take our inspiration from most of the time. So we encourage people around the world to use their voice to represent human beings as human beings.
Sing the music your grandparents used to sing. Develop it and make it better. That will make you unique and stand out in the world. You might not be famous but some people from other parts of the world will find it and know this is China, or, this is South Africa. It's traditional music, not influenced by Western culture or any other culture.
Which one song would you recommend to Chinese?
I would recommend Nomathemba. It's a woman's name and it means "hope." Joseph wrote this song in 1965. We still sing it today because it really represents the style of LBM. Furthermore, it conveys a good message about hope and people should not lose their hope because sometimes in life, things can be so complicated that you don't see the light. Keep hoping, and the good things will come.
During the time of apartheid, it seemed South Africa would never become a free country. But we kept our hope, and today South Africa is a rainbow nation. That's what the song represents. |