Zulu Choral Music From South Africa (Mbube Roots) - Various Artists

Advantages: Shows us what we are missing musically - superb music at all times
Disadvantages: none to be found

...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... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Beautiful a cappella, strong voices.
Disadvantages: Lanuage may be a bit of a barrier.

...powerful images of Africa, whether or not you have ever been there. They sing generally traditional songs that stem from the story-telling and legends of Mother Africa, and some Gospel. There is usually enough English interwoven into the songs to give you some understanding of what you are hearing. But they also compose and perform their own material, and this has seen to it that they have become an internationally recognised male choir. I do recommend it to anyone who enjoys grass-roots African music, and also male choral renditions. Ladysmith Black Mambazo, I'm sure, looks forward to welcoming you to the sounds of The Valley of a Thousand Hills. (I feel I need to add an extra note to this: Is there any point in actually supplying a list of titles in Zulu, since I cannot tell you what they mean, and I felt that perhaps it would just... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: African Western Fusion
Disadvantages: Production sounds a bit 80's

...school, and having black friends the culture shock of moving back to apartheid South Africa and attending a white middle-class boarding school obviously had a huge impact on his life, his career and his music. At 14, Johnny began playing guitar and through this he met Mntonganazo Mzila, a Zulu cleaner, who played street music near Johnny's home in Johannesburg. For two years Johnny learned the fundamentals of Zulu music Zulu stick dancing from Mzila, who at the time spoke no English. As a teenager he ran away from home to Zululand, and immersed himself in Zulu culture, including learning the language and the respect of the Zulus and a reputation as a fine musician in the competitive Zulu street musician tradition. This was the first time he was arrested for breaking the law under Apartheid. At 16 he met Sipho Mchunu, a Zulu tribesman... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful