Reviewed on Saturday March 12 (photo by Ashley Mar)
This far from the savannah plains of Africa, there can’t be a more appropriate venue than Sydney’s Taronga Zoo to experience the hypnotic harmonies of the world’s most successful world music act, Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
Assisted by the Indian summer and the beautiful setting overlooking Sydney Harbour, the group guided us through a Disney-like tour of South African culture via traditional song, fun choreography and charming storytelling. Not a regular Saturday night out, but an enchanting evening nonetheless.
Joseph Shabalala’s group – now in its 56th year and celebrating 30 years since reaching worldwide fame as the backing singers on Paul Simon’s Graceland – began by stating its raison d’être: to spread love, peace and harmony by singing about hope and the past, present and future.
As kids chased each other through the sea of picnic blankets and wind rustled through up-lit trees, we were introduced to the Isicathamiya vocal style. The eight males – including four of Shabalala’s sons and the only original member, Albert Mazibuko – each took turns to lead. The voices together provided percussion and melody and created a harmonious whole, occasionally punctuated by Zulu clicks and animal calls.
The crowd applauded the late Nelson Mandela and 21 years of South African democracy throughout ‘Long Walk To Freedom’, while tip-toeing and booty-shaking, impossible high kicks and easier-to-copy hand movements accompanied the repeated refrain of “Let us walk and work together / Long walk to freedom”. A short, almost apologetic, version of ‘Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes’ and a solid rendition of ‘Homeless’ sated the Simon fans.
The traditional songs, more firmly rooted in the KwaZulu-Natal homelands of the group, were the ones that really awoke you to the raw power of music, however. The bass harmonies, sometimes reduced to the merest whisper, eventually found their target and before you knew it you were swaying along with everyone else. It was tribal, natural and effortless. Long may these messengers of their culture continue to tour and delight audiences across the world.
