Ladysmith Black Mambazo - In Harmony: Live at the Royal Albert Hall
After Ladysmith Black Mambazo gained initial fame with American  audiences thanks to Paul Simon's 1985Gracelandalbum, the group  achieved tremendous popularity in the international music scene. This 1999  production begins with a fascinating interview with the group's leader and  songwriter, Joseph Shabalala. The articulate Shabalala shares the origins of the  group's name, his personal calling, and his dream to share South Africa's  musical canon with the world while conveying an immense sense of power and  vision not often found in today's music. The live concert performance at  London's Royal Albert Hall is a "best of" performance that showcases the group's  wonderful a cappella harmonies and the genius of Shabalala's writing. The songs  (in both English and Zulu) celebrate universal themes, like the  misunderstandings between the younger and older generations in "Sisesiqhingini"  (Stupid Stupid Stupid). "Phansi Emigodini" (Deep down in the mines) is  especially masterful in its use of repetitive rhythms and vocal sound effects to  re-create the sounds of picks and hammers at work in the mines. These potent  effects create a hauntingly realistic atmosphere and add a deeper, universal  level of meaning to the Zulu lyrics. Notable too is the unique "tiptoe dancing"  that accompanies many of the songs. This expressive style of dance focuses  primarily on the feet, but at times encompasses the entire body and lends a  rich, visual aspect to Ladysmith Black Mambazo's powerful music. Following the  encore (Graceland's "Homeless") is a short segment featuring Ladysmith  Black Mambazo on location in the parks and streets of Los Angeles.--Tami  Horiuchi