Joseph Shabalala

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Joseph Shabalala founded an a cappella group in 1959, which, after a series of dreams, he named Ladysmith Black Mambazo at the end of 1960. Mambazo means axe: the group chopped down the competition in isicathamiya contests. Isicathamiya is soft, creeping choral singing that Zulu workers developed in the cities. Through Paul Simon's album Graceland (1986), for which Shabalala co-wrote the song Homeless, the group became world famous.

Listening

• 
  Unomathemba · Ladysmith Black Mambazo, 1987
• 
  Homeless (with Ladysmith Black Mambazo) · Paul Simon, 1986
• 
  Hello My Baby · Ladysmith Black Mambazo, 1987

See also

• Isicathamiya and South African choirs
• Solomon Linda