Posts Tagged ‘Ladysmith Black Mambazo’

Joseph Shabala, RIP

Tuesday, February 11th, 2020

Ladysmith Black Mambazo founder and lead singer Jospeh Shabala has died. Like just about everyone else in the world, the first time I heard them was on Paul Simon’s Graceland. Unlike most, I actually picked up a few Ladysmith Black Mambazo albums. (In fact, I just counted and I have seven, a lot of which came out on Shanachie records, which put out a lot of world music in the 1980s and 90s.)

If you only know them from Graceland, you might not have realized that they’re primarily a gospel group. Most of the songs end with “Amen! Halleluya! Amen!” The track below is from Umthombo Wamanzi.

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The Lion Sleeps Tonight

Thursday, November 14th, 2013

Since I’ve reached the age where being “cool” is impossible anyway, I can link things others might find corny, like this version of The Tokens revisiting their big hit “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”:

This, of course, was an adaptation of Solomon Linda’s “Mbube”:

But the Tokens version is better and more interesting, despite the fact that they could be mistaken for 4 Jacks and a Jill. It’s obvious lead singer Jay Siegel still loves singing this song even after four decades.

But my favorite version, which sort of combines the sensibilities of the two, is Ladysmith Black Mombazo and all-girl acapella group The Mint Julips covering it, from a PBS special called Spike and Company Do It Acapella from back in 1990.

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Water Falling From the Sky

Thursday, May 12th, 2011

Attention Austinites: That wet stuff falling from the sky is called “rain.” I know you may not have seen these in some time, but it’s a naturally occurring phenomena.

It should also help ease our extreme drought.

In celebration, here’s Ladysmith Black Mombazo with “Rain, Rain, Beautiful Rain.”

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