Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Tip Toe Guys: The Soul Of - A Story Of Zulu Harmony '2009

Tracks list

Tracklist:

CD1
01 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Rain, Rain, Beautiful Rain (2:23)
02 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Hello My Baby (3:27)
03 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Aint No Sunshine (with Desree) (3:50)
04 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - How Long (4:46)
05 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Abezizwe (Uniting Nations Together) (DInfluence
mix) (3:42)
06 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Unomathemba (3:50)
07 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - World In Union (featuring PJ Powers) (3:53)
08 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Sisesiqhingini (Everything Is So Stupid) (4:20)
09 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Halleluya (3:33)
10 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Halala South Africa (5:20)
11 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Imbube (3:02)
12 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Oh Happy Day (5:43)
13 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Wenyukela (Rise Your Spirit Higher) (4:53)
14 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Sohlabelelu Hosana (4:10)
15 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Wenza Ngani (How Did You Do That) (4:38)
16 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Isimanga Salomhlaba (The Wonder Of This World)
(5:18)
17 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Because I Love You (4:08)

CD2
01 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Shosholoza (4:54)
02 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Uyobunenhlanhla (You Are Lucky) (2:37)
03 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Ill Take You There (6:40)
04 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Ushaka (King Of Zulu) (2:46)
05 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Black Is Beautiful (3:29)
06 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Dlondlohala Njalo (Preserve South Africas Culture)
(4:44)
07 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Women Of Mambazo: Mamizolo (3:26)
08 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Iningi Liyabon Ububende (Many Spill The Broth)
(4:56)
09 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - New York City (4:06)
10 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Lihl Ixhaba Likagogo (My Grandmothers Kitchen)
(4:00)
11 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Isitmela (The Train) (2:58)
12 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Amabutho (Warrios) (2:45)
13 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Yinhle Lentombi (This Lady Is Beautiful) (4:49)
14 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Amazing Grace/Nearer My God To Thee (with Emmylou
Harris) (3:31)
15 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - O Mmu Beno Mmu (2:42)
16 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - This Is The Way We Do (4:59)
17 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Iphel Emasini (3:52)
18 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Nkosi Sikelel IAfrica (2:27)

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

For over forty years, the voices of Ladysmith Black Mambazo have married the
intricate rhythms and harmonies of theirnative 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. Their 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.

Assembled in the early 1960s, in Durban South Africa, by Joseph Shabalala (still
currently leading the group) - then a young farmboy turned factory worker
-Joseph took the name Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Ladysmith being the name of
Shabalalas rural hometown; Black being a reference to oxen, the strongest of all
farm animals; and Mambazo being the Zulu word for axe, a symbol of the groups
ability to chop down any singing rival who might challenge them. Their
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.

The groups path had a specific direction: To bring this gospel of loving one
another all over the world, Joseph says. However, hes quick to point out that
the message is not specific to any one religious orientation. Without hearing
the lyrics, this music gets into the blood, because it comes from the blood, he
says. It evokes enthusiasm and excitement, regardless of what you follow
spiritually.

A radio broadcast in 1970 opened the door to their first record contract - the
beginning of an ambitious discography that currently includes more than fifty
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, where black
workers were taken by rail to work far away from their homes and their families.
Poorly housed and paid worse, the mine workers would entertain themselves after
a six-day week by singing songs into the wee hours on Sunday morning. When the
miners returned to the homelands, this musical tradition returned with them.

In the mid-1980s, Paul Simon visited South Africa and incorporated Black
Mambazos rich tenor/alto/bass harmonies into his Graceland album - a landmark
1986 recording that was considered seminal in introducing world music to
mainstream audiences. Graceland one many awards including the Grammy Award for
Best Album of the Year. A year later, Simon produced Black Mambazos first U.S.
release, Shaka Zulu, which won the Grammy Award, in 1988,for Best Traditional
Folk Album. Since then, and in total, the group has received fifteen Grammy
Award Nominations and three Grammy Award wins, including one in 2009.

In addition to their work with Paul Simon, Ladysmith Black Mambazo has recorded
with numerous artists from around the world, including Stevie Wonder, Josh
Groban,Dolly Parton, Ben Harper and many others. Their 2006 CD, Long Walk To
Freedom had guest singers join them, such as Sarah McLachlan, Natalie Merchant,
Melissa Etheridge, Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal and others. Their film work
includes an appearance in Michael Jacksons Moonwalker video and Spike Lees Do It
A Cappella.They provided soundtrack material for Disneys The Lion King, Part II
as well as Eddie Murphys Coming To America, Clint Eastwoods Invictus, Marlon
Brandos A Dry White Season, Sean Connerys The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
andJames Earl Jones Cry The Beloved Country. A film documentary titled On Tip
Toe: Gentle Steps to Freedom, the story of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, was
nominated for an Academy Award. The group is also well known for its Life Savers
candy commercials as well as adverts with Heinz Beans. Their performance with
Paul Simon on Sesame Street is legendary and is one of the top three requested
Sesame Street segments in history.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo has been invited to perform at many special occasions.
By special invitation from South African President Nelson Mandela, they
performed for the Queen of England and the Royal Family at the Royal Albert Hall
in London. The group has also performed at two Nobel Peace Prize Ceremonies, a
concert for Pope John Paul II in Rome, the South African Presidential
inaugurations, the 1996 Summer Olympics and many other special events. In the
summer of 2002, Black Mambazo was again asked to represent their nation in
London at a celebration for Queen Elizabeths 50th Anniversary as Monarch. They
shared the stage with Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker and
Phil Collins.

Just when one think the group should be slowing down they are entering what
should be the busiest years of their career since Graceland. They have six new
recording projects they are readying for release, a new concert DVD and a
Childrens project. They have long wished to release a trilogy of CDs that sing
of their life experiences in South Africa called Our South African Life. Volume
one, coming out January, 2011 is Songs From A Zulu Farm. This wonderful
recording is important to the group members because the older members of the
group were born and raised on the farms outside of Ladysmith. It is a collection
of original and traditional songs that sing of life on the farm. This release
will coincide with a world tour that brings them to the USA in early 2011,
Europe in May-June 2011 and other places to be announced later in the year.

No, time is not slowing down for the group. As Joseph Shabalala says, We are
teachers. We travel the world spreading our message of Peace, Love and Harmony.
What could be better or more important than that.

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