Ultimate Collection, The (A 2CD Collection Featuring 40 Of Her Best Loved Songs) - Mary Duff

...Black Mambazo - ‘ The Ultimate Collection ‘.

Do I hear you say ‘say who ,never heard of them !’ ?

I say you must have heard of them , so here’s three clues :

1) Paul Simon ( Gracelands album )
2) Heinz Soup TV adverts
3) Rugby World Cup Theme

By now you must have an idea of whom this op is about , so lets be on with it ...

Quick Background Thing.....

...one Joseph Shabalala . From this vision in which children sang and danced , he gathered some friends / family , and formed the group . The time of this forming was early 1960’s . The place : Africa .
Joseph is a ZULU , and the group is part of the time honoured Zulu singing tradition of Isicathamiya ( literal meaning : to walk or step on one’s toes lightly ) , whose roots go back to the early years of the twentieth century , when groups of ... more

Ladysmith Black Mambazo - ‘ The Ultimate Collection ‘.

Do I hear you say ‘say who ,never heard of them !’ ?

I say you must have heard of them , so here’s three clues :

1) Paul Simon ( Gracelands album )
2) Heinz Soup TV adverts
3) Rugby World Cup Theme

By now you must have an idea of whom this op is about , so lets be on with it ...

Quick Background Thing.....

Ladysmith Black Mambazo leteraly came from a dream by one Joseph Shabalala . From this vision in which children sang and danced , he gathered some friends / family , and formed the group . The time of this forming was early 1960’s . The place : Africa .
Joseph is a ZULU , and the group is part of the time honoured Zulu singing tradition of Isicathamiya ( literal meaning : to walk or step on one’s toes lightly ) , whose roots go back to the early years of the twentieth century , when groups of Zula males left their homelands in search of work , living near to mines etc , in all male hostels . In the western world , sucjh groups would form the likes of football / rugby teams etc. , but these migrants formed small singng groups , to remind them of their roots .
In 1973 Ladsmith Black Mambazo released their first album in Africa , and have gone on to release over 30 more.
Success in Africa was found , however International stardom was to be found when Paul Simon decided to approach and use the group during the recording of his famed ‘Gracelands’ album .
This was further enforced with the use of their music in the Heinz Soup ads , and later on as the theme for the Rugby World Cup.

Musical type :

As previously stated mainly of Zulu background , and heavily reliant on accapela only rhythms . The songs are meldolic and about everyday life things and of course Zulu history traditions . Occasionally English is interspersed within the lyrics , so many can get a gist of the song . However the enjoyment comes from the songs themselves , regardless of understanding the lyrics .

The Album :

This is in effect a greatest hits album , and covers a wide musical range , from traditional African music , through to everyday well known tracks ( see later ) .
The Cd usually costs around £11.99 , but I managed to pick this up at the Asda Januay sale for just £4.97 .

It is a double CD with a total of 34 tracks on it . I will list them , but give no appraisal as I think it inappropriate , given its genre , and my truely lack of understanding ( other than known tunes ) .

Details of each track can however be found on the album sleeve .

CD1 - Track Listing :

1) Hala South Africa ( congratulations South Africa )
2) Inkanyezi ( Star and the Wiseman )
. ( HEINZ SOUP ADS. MUSIC )
3) Amabutho ( Warriors )
4) Swing Low Sweet Chariot
. (FEATURES THE VOCALS OF CHINA BLACK - A GREAT RENDITION
. OF A CLASSIC SONG )
5) Dlonglobala Njalo
6) Rain Rain Beatiful Rain
7) Sisesiqhungini ( Everything is so stupid..stupid..stupid )
8) Hello My Baby
9) Mbayimbayi ( A weapon )
10) Knockin’On Heavens Door
. (THIS VERSION OF THE BOB DYLAN CLASSIC SUNG WITH DOLLY
. PARTON - REALLY GOOD )
11) Homeless
12) Amaphoyisa (Policeman)
13) Abezizwe (Uniting Nations Together )
. (D’INFLUENCE REMIXED THIS TRACK TO MAKE IT AN UPBEAT
. SONG OF BEAUTY )
14) Lihl’ixiba Likagogo
15) Sibezwa Bekhuluma ( We here them talking )
16) (Nkosi Sikelel’i - Africa) Shosholoza
. (RUGBY WORLDCUP ANTHEM )
17) Amazing Grace / Nearer To My God To Thee
. (COLABORATION WITH PAUL SIMON TO GIVE A SUPERB VERSION
. OF THIS TRADITIONAL HYMN )

CD2 - Track Listing :

1) Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes
. (PAUL SIMONS HIT WITH LBM ON BACKING VOCALS)
2) Mbube
. ( A TRADITIONAL AFRICAN SONG , THAT WOULD LATER MORPH
. INTO ‘WIMOWEH - THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT’ )
3) Ebethlehema Yiyo Lenkosi ( In Bethlehem He Is King )
4) Ain’t No Sunshine
. (FEATURING DES’REE - A MASSIVE UK HIT )
5) New York City
6) World In Union
. (‘95 RUGBY WORLD CUP ANTHEM)
7) Nomathemba ( Mother of Hope)
8) Qed’usizi
9) Chain Gang
. (LOU RAWLS FEATURING LBM SING THE DEFINITIVE VERSION OF
. THIS SAM COOKE CLASSIC)
10) Khayelihle KhanaLami ( My Beautiful Home )
11) Oh Happy Day
. ( WITH THE HERITAGE GOSPEL CHOIR - GREAT VERSION)
12) Lifiklie Ivangeli ( The Gospel Has Arrived )
13) Iningi Liyabon Ububende ( Many Spoil The Broth)
14) Baxabene Babangani (Friend Who Have Quarrelled)
15) Hallelya
16) Yinule Lentombi (The Lady Is Beautiful)
17) Once In a Blue Moon
. (COLLABORATION WITH THE LIGHTHOUSE FAMILY )

Final Thoughts :

Don’t be put off by the thought of African mainly music . What you will appreciate is the quality of music .The added bonus of some well known tracks , and versions so well crafted it makes a shame not to own them , truely means you should try for once in your life , to broaden your musical horizons . A truely classic album. 

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