Harmony that's rooted in Zulu rhythm

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

Ladysmith Black Mambazo will perform at Leeward Community College tonight, and then heads for the Neighbor Islands. LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO 8 p.m. today Leeward Community College Theatre $27 general, $20 students and seniors 455-0385, lcctheatre.hawaii.edu Also: Waimea — 8 p.m. Saturday, Kahilu Theatre; $35, $40, $45; (808) 885-6868, kahilutheatre.org Hilo — 7:30 p.m. Sunday, University of Hawai'i-Hilo; $20, $25, with discounts for UH-Hilo faculty/staff, seniors and students; (808) 974-7310, performingarts.net /Theatre/Kahului — 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Maui Arts & Cultural Center; $10, $18, $28, with discounts for ages 12 and younger; (808) 242-7469, mauiarts.org (A performance was given last night at the Brigham Young University-Hawai'i La'ie campus.)

Composed of South African family members from a town called Ladysmith (the hometown of group founder Joseph Shabalala), Ladysmith Black Mambazo's Zulu harmonies have been widely heard and appreciated in projects large and small.

Most fans were introduced to the group when Paul Simon solicited its idiosyncratic sound for his hit "Graceland" album in 1986. But the group also has nurtured a following of its own, via "Shaka Zulu," its 1987 Grammy Award winner for Best Traditional Folk Album. Since then, there have been numerous other dots on the show-biz map, in genres ranging from movies and video to TV commercials.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo's traditional music is called isicathamiya (is-cot-a-me-ya), a genre born in the mines of South Africa, commonly boasting church-like harmonies in call-and-response vocals. The Ladysmith name is derived from the group's home base, with the Black linking to the black oxen considered the most durable and strongest beast on a farm; and the Mambazo referring to an ax, symbolic of the act's power to chop down the competition.

In an e-mailed interview (phone links to Africa were problematic), Albert Mazibuko, an original member of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, fielded questions as one of the associates of founder Shabalala. In recent times, Mazibuko has served as spokesman for the group, and is charged with perpetuating as well as showcasing its atmospheric, cultural sound.

Q: Ladysmith Black Mambazo's sound has emerged as the quintessential South African music — the vocal harmonies representing your hypnotic nation. Is music a vital part of native African life, the way that music is very much a fabric of Hawaiian life?

A: We think so. For us, it (music) began on the farm. Singing was part of our everyday life. We sang to the animals. At night, we gathered as family and sang with each other. I think all people love to share inner feelings in song and music.

Q: Your work alone, as a recording and performing ensemble, and your links with Paul Simon on the "Graceland" album have brought awareness of your culture to the world. Also, the presence of African elements in "The Lion King" have further expanded the joy and beauty to an even wider audience base of listeners. Is this exposure, in the popular performing arts, at all damaging to the authenticity and ethnicity of what you do?

A: It can, so each person needs to be careful how they represent their culture. It is important for the world to know about our culture and people. It's important to stay true to our roots and tradition and not corrupt it. Sometimes, people ask if we are wrong in using our singing for advertisements. We don't think so, as we only allow our singing to be used if it is kept true to the culture.

Q: You've collaborated with numerous others in America — Stevie Wonder, Dolly Parton, Ben Harper, George Clinton. Ever think of linking up with someone from Hawai'i, like Keali'i Reichel, who is fluent in both Hawaiian and pop music, and has embraced some African rhythms in his repertoire? How do you know when the elements are right for a union with someone not in your culture?

A: We're always open to singing with others. We find it best to allow others to listen to our voices and to find a way to connect it with their style. If they can find this link, we can embrace the collaboration. This is how most of our work happens. Someone has a song and hears a part that they feel would work better if they had our singing on the song. They then call us up, send us the song, and point out what they'd like to do. We then are able to make their idea real.

Q: Do you fear, with progress and changes in environment, that your efforts to perpetuate and teach your music to future generations of performers might be in jeopardy? How are you trying to expand the lifespan of what you do?

A: We feel that our group is a traveling academy for our culture. As long as we are able to spread the culture by touring and singing, releasing CDs, we keep it alive and vibrant throughout the world. Another way we are trying to keep our culture alive is by allowing our people to preserve their singing and music as well. We're trying to set up a recording studio that others can use to make CDs. We want to release these other people's music as well, through a collection called "Ladysmith Black Mambazo Presents ... Music from Our Homeland." We think we can start selling these in the near future. It will help open doors for many others. This is what companies like Putumayo do for world music, but we want to do it for groups from our homeland."

Q: What has been your greatest career satisfaction so far?

A: Well, probably two come right to mind. Of course, the first is the worldwide success we achieved from working with Paul Simon in the 1980s. Obviously, this record allowed us to be seen and heard all around the world. Thank you, Paul Simon.

The second would be the continued success we have had since that time. It's been about 20 years since then and, at first, many people told us that this "fame" we were enjoying wouldn't last and after two to three years, people would get tired of us and we wouldn't be able to spread our songs around the world anymore. Well, as I've said, it's almost 20 years and we're still able to spread our culture. It's been wonderful.

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com, 525-8067 or fax 525-8055.