LEWISTON — L/A Arts MainStage series presents Ladysmith Black Mambazo at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 8, at Bates Chapel, 275 College Street. For over 40 years the voices of Ladysmith Black Mambazo 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. Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s musical efforts over the past four decades have garnered praise and accolades within the recording industry, but also solidified their identity as a cultural force to be reckoned with.

The group rose to worldwide prominence as a result of singing with Paul Simon on his album, “Graceland” and have won multiple awards including three Grammy Awards. Assembled in the early 1960s in Durban South Africa by Joseph Shabalala who is still currently leading the group and who was then a young farmboy turned factory worker, Shabalala took the name Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Ladysmith is the name of Shabalala’s rural hometown; Black is a reference to oxen, the strongest of all farm animals; and Mambazo is the Zulu word for axe, a symbol of the group’s ability to “chop down” any singing rival who might challenge them.

The group’s collective voices were so tight and their harmonies so polished that they were eventually banned from competitions, although they were welcomed to participate strictly as entertainers. A radio broadcast in 1970 opened the door to their first record contract which was the beginning of an ambitious discography that currently includes more than 50 recordings.

Their philosophy in the studio was — and continues to be — just as much about preservation of musical heritage as it is about entertainment. The group borrows heavily from a traditional music called isicathamiya (is-cot-a-ME-Ya) which developed in the mines of South Africa.

Tickets are $27 for adults, $15 for students and seniors. For more information, visit www.laarts.org or call 207-782-7228.

Copy the Story Link