Ladysmith Black Mambazo@Pepperdine University 02.01.07

It is fitting that the a acapella singing group performed at a local university, as Joseph Shabalala and company gave the enraptured audience a textbook lesson on the roots of jazz's history, namely Africa and the church. With the supporting seven voices providing rich harmonies and incessant rhythms, Shabalala's honey sweet voice sang songs of the universal struggle for peace, life and hope in God. On songs like the opening "Pale Ka Mfan" and Phalemand" a rhythm section consisting of drums and percussive effects was provided by the backing voices creating vocal swoops, taps, and swirls that laid down a hypnotic beat as a backdrop for Shabalala's singing and improvisations. Like a true instrumentalist, his songs literally "tell a story", sometimes dealing with the history of South Africa, as on the haunting "Long Road to Freedom." During a Zulu sing along, and particularly on the joyful "Hello, Baby", the tap root of modern doo wop could be felt, as singers Msizi and Thulani Shabalala creating lilting cadences with their rich sonorous voices. During the rollicking "Homeless", leader Joseph's enchanting drawls and clicks evoked images of a bebop rhythm section. Most fascinating were the melding voices on the wondrous "Phalemand" that created harmonies as rich as an Ellington sax section. The show concluded with a heartfelt rendition of "Amazing Grace" that reminded the audience that there are more important freedoms than political. Very few educational experiences have sounded or felt this good


-George W. Harris