But Joseph Shabalala was not just a performer collaborating with Paul Simon; he made meaningful contributions to some of the songs. He is credited with a contribution to ‘Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes’, along with Ladysmith Black Mambazo. ‘Homeless’ was written jointly by Paul Simon and Joseph Shabalala,  to a melody from a traditional Zulu wedding song.

In the song, “the figure of Joseph becomes the dual image of a dispossessed African black man and the New Testament Joseph.” For the song, Simon sent a cassette demo to Shabalala and the two later met at Abbey Road Studios in London, where the rest of the song was completed…

It is little wonder that President Jacob Zuma took time out of his obviously arduous schedule to pay Joseph a visit…

Politicians love being associated with greatness. And let’s be truly honest here, few if any international star will ever eclipse Joseph Shabalala’s and Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s impact on music. More importantly, however, is the universal respect he has engendered as an artist, a human being and a father figure to SA music. His is a name that does not just echo on the African continent, but on the world stage too!

I have met Joseph on many occasions and my lasting impression of him is one of true greatness.

So while the likes of President Zuma, Premier Willies Mchunu and SABC’s Hlaudi Motsoeneng were all on hand, it truly was all about one man.

Dr Shabalala gave us all a voice through his music and, political roadshows aside, many complained that it was a waste of taxpayers’ money as the close to 50-car presidential cavalcade poured through Ladysmith streets like one massive gravy train…  Sadly, that is the price we need to pay to honour a great man, as there are so few left.

We sometimes need to go that extra mile when we see true greatness, even at the expense of our moral compass!