Ladysmith Black Mambazo Brings Africa's sound to STANLEY CENTER FOR THE ARTS February 4th
Date Posted: January 20th, 2009
Utica, NY (January 16, 2009) The GRAMMY award winning South African a cappella group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo returns to the world music forefront with the January 27, 2009 release of Ladysmith Black Mambazo Live. This visual glimpse of the South African icons showcases the group's unique music, dance, and in-depth interviews. Experience Ladysmith's storied career live at the STANLEY Center for the Arts- Wednesday, February 4th. Stage time is 7:30pm. Tickets are $15 to $35. The Theatre is located at 259 Genessee Street in Utica. For more information or tickets call (315) 724-4000, or visit www.StanleyCenterForTheArts.com.
For more than three decades, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, assembled in the early 1960s in South Africa by Joseph Shabalala, have married the intricate rhythms and harmonies of their native South African musical traditions to the sounds and sentiments of Christian gospel music. The result is a musical and spiritual alchemy that has touched a worldwide audience representing every corner of the religious, cultural and ethnic landscape.
Two decades ago, Paul Simon introduced Ladysmith Black Mambazo's musical genius and boundless spiritual energy to the pop music world via his groundbreaking 1986 recording Graceland. Eight years later, due in large part to the efforts of Ladysmith Black Mambazo and other South African artists bearing witness to racial inequality in their homeland, the centuries-old practice of apartheid came to an end in South Africa.
The thematic elements in Mambazo's music that appeal to South Africans, says Shabalala, are the same elements that appeal to a universal audience in all parts of the globe. In that sense, the group has come to be recognized as South Africa's musical ambassadors to the world."People love our music because we have a story in this music," says Shabalala. "It's a very deep story about tradition, about taking care of yourself, about reminding people to get together and work very hard for themselves. When South African police and the politicians listen to this sound, they love us. They say, 'This is the African sound.' Therefore, let these people go wherever they want to go and spread this music around the world."
Spanning more than ninety minutes, the performances within Ladysmith Black Mambazo Live are riveting not just in their layered musicality but in their sheer kinetic energy. Beginning with their opening number, "Nomathemba," and throughout the performance, the nine-man group is almost constantly in motion sometimes as individuals, sometimes as a unit with simple hand gestures, giant leaps and bounds across the stage or overhead kicks that seem to defy the most basic laws of anatomical flexibility.
Other highlights include the thoughtful "Ekulupekeni" and the stirring "Long Walk To Freedom," the title track to their 2006 Heads Up recording that recognized twelve years of democracy in the Republic of South Africa. Further, in, "Thulanhliziyo" features some light-hearted call-and-response with the audience, while the quiet and pensive "Rain Rain Beautiful Rain" celebrates the inherent beauty and spirituality of the natural world. The set closes with two emotionally resonant encores: "Shosholoza" (also from Long Walk To Freedom) and a quiet, heartfelt medley of the two well known hymns, "Amazing Grace" and "Nearer My God To Thee."
This special appearance of Ladysmith Black Mambazo at the Stanley is sponsored by the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees, which is presenting their 6th Annual Passport to the World fundraiser in the Stanley lobbies beginning at 5:30pm on February 4. Tickets for the Passport are available at the Stanley as well as at the MVRCR office, 738-1083. For more information on the Passport to the World, contact Shana Pughe at the MVRCR or visit www.mvrcr.org.
