In all forms of spirituality there are rituals. Prayer, dance, whirling, incantation, song. These practices or rituals all ride on the same intention, to change vibration and open greater communication with the unknown. I know, I’m talking very “Boulder” here, but bear with.
These thoughts have been percolating since last Thursday when I saw Ladysmith Black Mambazo play at Boulder Theater in downtown Boulder. I have seen Mambazo before, many years ago. And likewise it had been some time since I had attended anything at Boulder Theater. Both just dazzled me, and I want to tell you about both, as one surely affected the sense of the other.
Boulder Theater is undisputedly one of Boulder’s cultural gems. Seating 850 and standing 1000, Boulder Theater has played host to many legendary acts in its 75 + years, from Herbie Hancock to Ziggy Marley and BB King, Etta James, John Prine, and Arlo Guthrie, the very walls of the theater practically ring with the music that has been made there. Which is perhaps why folks think there is a resident ghost, named George, in attendance at most concerts. Is it possible “George” tossed back a cold one with Chick Corea, Johnny Cash, Dark Star Orchestra and …Ladysmith Black Mambazo? Somehow I can’t see that, but you never know.
Not just musical performances happen at the Boulder Theater, it is also a rich community resource for other types of events: hosting eTown (the radio show), weddings and bar (and I assume bat) mitzvahs, memorials, film festivals, comedians like Bill Maher, and soulful presenters such as Deepak Chopra. Those who have experienced the theater rave about the fabulous acoustics and the gorgeous art deco façade and interior walls with lush murals and artistic flourishes.
A fine setting for a sonorous and even salubrious evening of a cappella music with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a soulful group of nine South African men—all related to each other—who have been performing for over 50 some years. Remember Paul Simon’s Graceland, 1986 Grammy Award Winner for Album of the Year? Graceland helped introduce Ladysmith Black Mambazo to a wider, more pop-oriented audience, and Mambazo’s rhythmic, body-bouncing and infectious beat propelled Simon right back on to the musical map. There are win/wins and there are win/WINS—got to love those.
I had been very curious about their chosen moniker, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and a little research* told me the group had, as many performers do, tried on a few names along the way. It was during a period of fierce competition between choral groups in South Africa that the elements of the name fell in to place: first the hometown of the choir leader’s family: Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal; then the black ox, considered the strongest of farm animals; and finally, mambazo, meaning “axe” in the Zulu language, symbolic of the choir's ability to "chop down" the competition.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo, under whatever names, were not new to recording when they collaborated with Paul Simon. They began singing together simply for the joy of it in the early 50s, in a style of traditional Zulu music called isicathamiya.The closest thing to a pronunciation I can find is pretty much “asthma,” from Virtual Thesaurus, so if you know how to pronounce this word, please don’t be shy about commenting in the space provided. Isicathamiya is a word that has no literal translation but roughly, it’s “a cappella.” With an emphasis on achieving a mellifluous harmony.
Led by founder and leader, Joseph Shabalala (now deceasd), Mambazo released their first of many albums, Amabutho, in 1973. They were instantly famed and continue to be internationally favored, travelling to perform, and to teach the world about Africa, too. In live performances one is amazed by the acrobatic choreography they achieve, all clad in brightly-colored khaftan-type shirts, without missing a beat.
Their sound is unique. Technically demanding while seeming so simple, they sing with pure, clear voices—often onomatopoeic style—of simple things, sung in rhapsody: farming, animals, childhood pranks, young courtship: the stuff of life.
The history of this group is just fascinating: political intrigue, family ties, apartheid, even Michael Jackson, I found. Too much for this column, but I encourage you to do a bit of delving yourself. I did not know, for instance, until I started research for this article, that in 1976, Shabalala converted to Christianity. Many or most of the choir’s members followed and the repertoire of the group began to reflect religiosity woven among the goats and birds. An element of synchronous funk and gospel can be heard in threads and strains, and the richly textured melodies and harmonies begin to touch the numinous divine. That they did so last week in the gentle beauty with the spectacular acoustics of Boulder Theater made for an unforgettable evening.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo is a prolific and award-winning choral group that delivers a touch of mesmerizing prayer and a happy, hopeful sound that lingers. Perhaps it was this ephemeral quality that spoke to me of rituals, the power of the human voice to transport both singer and listener to a more transcendent state of mind. It worked for me.
*Wikipedia does accept donations!
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