End of the road for Mambazo?
A leg injury he sustained while performing overseas makes it difficult for him to continue performing
Joseph Shabalala, founder of Grammy Award winning choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, announced on Monday that he is bowing out of the music scene after a career spanning more than five decades. The news of his retirement came as a shock to many Ladysmith residents.
Speaking at a farewell breakfast hosted by eThekwini Mayor James Nxumalo for the musical group before they jetted off to the 2014 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Joseph said his physical condition no longer allows him to perform at his peak. “This is my time. I’m tired and now enjoy sitting and watching the youngsters perform,” he told reporters.
72-year-old Joseph Shababala, whose Isichathamiya group made history by becoming the first African traditional outfit to win a Grammy Award in 1988, said a leg injury he sustained while performing overseas makes it difficult for him to continue performing.
The group propelled the town of Ladysmith back onto the international map!
A former guitarist, Joseph hung up his guitar in 1964 to form the Black Mambazo Zulu dance group after a dream informing him to switch to Isichathamiya. The ancestors apparently came to him in a dream and told him to spread Isichathamiya music around the world.
Black Mambazo achieved international stardom in 1986 following the release of their now famous song ‘Homeless’, on which the group collaborated with American singer Paul Simon. The group had a number of tours around the world. Put together by Joseph Shabalala in Ladysmith in 1964, the group went on to win three Grammy Awards and has been nominated a record 17 times for the same award.
One of Black Mambazo’s three surviving founding members, Albert Mazibuko, said the group had put together a theatre musical telling the story of the group and that of South Africans – to ensure that the legacy of the group lives on. Speaking about Joseph’s retirement,
Emnambithi/Ladysmith Mayor Vincent Madlala said, “It is truly sad to see the legendary son of Ladysmith, Joseph Shabalala, retire. He has been an inspiration to millions of people, both black and white, in this country and around the world. As founder of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, he has made the international spotlight shine on our town. He is truly one of Ladysmith’s greatest sons. We hope others will follow in his inspirational footsteps and keep Ladysmith’s name on the world stage.” Ladysmith as a town has awarded Ladysmith Black Mambazo many honours, including ‘Freedom of the City’.
