Lads from Ladysmith still wield that old black magic

NINE microphones, nine bottles of water — it was a far cry from 1987 when Ladysmith Black Mambazo appeared in Sydney with Paul Simon’s celebrated Graceland tour.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo, South African choir. Picture: Shane Doyle

• Jubilant tribute to the ancestors
• Night of music without frontiers
• Ragas for refugees
• Cooder’s wry look at dystopia

NINE microphones, nine bottles of water on tables off to the side of the stage — it was a far cry from 1987 when Ladysmith Black Mambazo appeared in Sydney with all the equipment and extravagant trappings of Paul Simon’s celebrated Graceland tour.

But if minimal simplicity was the key to this return concert by the South African singing and dancing nonet, not one of the packed out Angel Place audience members had the right to feel deprived. All those wonderful harmonies were still intact, despite the retirement from the stage of founding father Joseph Shabalala, along with the group’s gentle humour and seductive mixed bag of old African stories, Methodist hymns, block harmonies, Zulu whoops and tongue clicks.

Messages of peace, love, hope and understanding vied with tales of displacement and longing for the African birdcalls, wildlife and mountains and rivers — all vividly portrayed by hand gestures and precisely synchronised high kicks and dance movements.

There were calls for equality — “I love my brothers and sisters, said no, no, no, never will kill — different colours and languages mean nothing to me” — a celebration of democracy in South Africa in the tribute to Nelson Mandela Long Walk To Freedom, and messages of hope in Tough Times Never Last But Strong People Do.

FAVOURITES

Shabalala may be taking a back seat as artistic director but his influence is immense, having handed on the baton to no less than four of his sons. The youngest, Thamsanqa, is now the leader of the group and opened the concert with Unomathemba, a track from the group’s hit Shaka Zulu album which was released in 1987 on the back of the success of Simon’s classic Graceland album.

Two tracks from Graceland — Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes and Homeless — arrived in the second half and most of the two-set program would have been familiar to LBM fans, including such favourites from Shaka Zulu as Rain, Rain, Beautiful Rain; Hello My Baby; How Long? and King of Kings.

It left many of us wondering how they can do all those beautifully timed and co-ordinated dance moves and sing at the same time

Thamsanqa shared lead singing duties with older brothers Sibongiseni and Thulani, while a fourth brother Msizi provided sterling support as a tenor in the chorus.

This was a concert high on entertainment value, delivered with an energy which infected the audience. It left many of us wondering how they can do all those beautifully timed and co-ordinated dance moves and sing at the same time — particularly Joseph’s 70-year-old cousin Albert Mazibuko who joined the group in 1969 and still kicks up his heels with the best of them.

But they’ve all been doing it for a long time and I guess you just have to put it down to the magic of Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

And if you closed your eyes you could have sworn Joseph was up their on stage singing to you.

DETAILS

● CONCERT: Ladysmith Black Mambazo

● WHERE: City Recital Hall Angel Place

● WHEN: Monday, July 9