Shaka Zulu

Soothing and calming and joyously uplifting, so glad this is on the list and just what I needed today

Note: only 3 of 10 tracks currently available on Spotify. When I got around to locating this, it was a gorgeous listen. So much vocal talent and songsmithing. Highly recommend tracking down the whole thing.

The human voice is truly one of the most wonderful instruments, and the talent of the a capella singers here is a wonderful example of how much power the voice can have. Favorite track: "Golgotha"

reminds me of something exotic my grandparents would listen to

My high school English teacher told us “the best essay is a short, good essay. The worst is a long, bad essay.” This album (if you can call it an album?) is definitely a short, good one. My only complaint is that it’s Too $hort. 5 seconds in I had the same realization many of us probably did – ahhhhhh THIS is who was all over Graceland. Such beautiful harmonies. Of course I never bothered to look up who was backing Paul Simon and just gave him all the credit for discovering/arranging everything. Glad we had this album to highlight these guys. Going to dig around and see what other music of theirs I can find.

Graceland is one of my favorite albums of all time but I’d never heard these tunes, produced by Paul as a follow up. I went back and listened to Diamonds and Homeless today as well, so good. Thinking of this as a B side to Graceland, and 11 bonus minutes of these guys is pretty high ROI.

Excellent music

I love this album so much. The rhythms and the gorgeous vocals I find so soothing and immersive. Very awesome.

Completely enveloping. No notes.

Quite enjoyable

This is buttery smooth and honey vocal textures. These guys had an unmistakable tone that I think colors the listening of other groups to western ears. This tone is iconic.

One of the best albums in this list. Saved it and I’m going to listen to more of their albums. Perfect background music for work.

BEAUTIFUL

There are some pieces of art that are so transcendent and perfect that it feels unnecessary to over consume them. There’s something special about them, some quality that means you can admire them only a few times in your life, and still feel the need to praise them to high heaven. La Dolce Vita is a great example, and I think Shaka Zulu fits that mould. There’s something so calming about it, I feel like it’d be a great album to write to., and the lyrics I understood all had the quality that I admire in Spingsteen and Chekhov, and admiration for the simple pleasures and minutiae of everyday life, told with a certain weariness, but no less affectionate because of it

Such an amazing album - the harmonies are incredible!

Lovely harmonies, loved this band since they collabed with Paul Simon!

Great

Rally nice, great voices!

From the very beginning, I am in love. The deep and round harmonies are warm as the African plains. Tight when necessary, this proverbial wisdom set to music still retains a loose whimsy that seems to harken back to the very roots of humankind. There is no need for a track-by-track individual review. Put on Ladysmith Black Mambazo and let them transport you to another world and time.

This is the Labçe album we all wanted

Gorgeous vocal album. Really cool and not something I think I would have otherwise listened to. The kind of album that makes the stinkers in this list worth it.

What an incredible choral sound. Amazing work.

Listening to this album was a joyful experience. I'm not sure how you could listen to this and not smile. The depth of sounds that these guys can produce with only their voices, is amazing. Liked Songs Added: - Unomathemba - Hello My Baby - How Long - Rain, Rain, Beautiful Rain

Hilarious to remember this reference from Mean Girls. It was honestly a refreshingly beautiful album! Such a unique sound, original, peaceful, warm. Loved it

FYI: the 1001 generator page points to a version of this album where most songs are unavailable. The 30th anniversary version has all songs available: https://open.spotify.com/album/5GoqzAwIz3px7nSHXDOb3X Such a pleasant change of pace. I don’t know what they’re saying, but I find it comforting and hopeful. So much beauty in these voices, harmonies, and tones. I need more of this in my life. Easy 5 stars. 5/5 Highlights: Unomathemba Hello My Baby King of Kings Lomhlaba Kawunoni Ikhaya Lamaqhawe This Little Light of Mine

For 3 songs clocking in at 11 minutes I can find no faults.

spotify only has 3 of the 10 songs.

Gorgeous vocalization. I just love the depth of emotion and harmonization.

Masterpiece!

Outstanding

Great unique sounds but have heard so much of them and much of their music sounds similar to me. Curious about the books discussion of the “personal psycho-geographies of apartheid buried in the songs.”

Great and rich album.

😍

I love this group’s music. It is smooth and relaxing.

Iconic!

Amazing vocal melodies. This album instantly transports you to another time and place. It’s like the best parts of Paul Simon’s Graceland album times ten

THIS is what I'm here for. Beautiful and different, and I love it. 5/5

beautiful. moving. no notes.

I absolutely loved this. So short and sweet. Was weirdly moved by this on my walk this morning.

C'est magnifique. Les chœurs imposent presque un état de recueillement. Pratiquement tout est a cappella, sauf erreur de ma part.

Delicious music. Yum yum.

Fantastic, beautiful stuff. Don’t have a lot to say about it, just really, really good. I can see why Paul Simon wanted to work with them.

How the sounds on this album can be produced by only human voices amazes me. Of course everyone is familiar with Ladysmith Black Mambazo from Paul Simon's Graceland album but by removing Paul Simon, Ladysmith Black Mambazo really shines here. Absolutely stunning. Makes me want to hear more from them. 5/5

A great performance! It’s soothing and relaxing but still has so much to offer.

Beautiful. The only way you can describe this album. The human voice fully on display. I can listen to this all day and never tire of it.

Looking at my cats while I listened to this record absolutely made me cry

Who doesn't love Ladysmith Black Mambazo?

Ethereal. Sweet heavenly music.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo is a South African choral group that was propelled to international fame for their contribution to Paul Simon's Graceland. Shaka Zulu is the album that the group release right after touring with Paul Simon. This Grammy winning album contains a collection of lovely songs with nothing outside of the sound of ten voices, in practiced, rich harmonies.

I listened to this album this morning (April 17, 2024) while I was reading my email. It brought me peace and energy to start what I know will be my busy day. I did not understand what they were singing but as I've said before, music has a way to calm and soothe the savage beast. Shaka Zulu did just that it calmed me and soothed me.

For some reason only three tracks were available to play.

love it, very soulful

A pleasure to listen to

Quite a unique and enjoyable listening experience. Probably the best acapella group I've ever listened to. 9/10

So... This was kind of I think exactly what I needed. I usually listen to albums periodically throughout the day. I tend to take breaks here and there. But the night before I was assigned to listen to this episode, my dad died. I was assigned this yesterday obviously. But I didn't get around to it until today. I listened to it while driving to my parents house to be with family. So it hit real hard. It was absolutely beautiful and I loved it. I think I will be coming back to this. It will hold a special place in my heart. Thanks for this.

This album, from beginning to end, is a shining gem!

Loved this album, such an enjoyed listen

This was so relaxing to listen to while working. Very soothing a capella.

It's rare to get an album in this exercise that you know will be a five start within the first 20 seconds of track one.

I had a recording of their acapella performances on VHS. I love them so much.

Beautiful and haunting

Although I don't understand everything they are saying, the vocals still speak to my soul. Damn this was good.

Peaceful

I love Graceland and I like this - so soothing and accomplished. 36 minutes whizz past and I want to play it again.

very cool

So glad to hear the beautiful choral harmonies of this group and the soul of South Africa today.

This was very pleasant music. Something that I agree should be listened to at least once in a lifetime.

Lovely and moving. Like being gently rocked to sleep.

I enjoyed listening to the beautiful a cappella voices. Incredible harmonies covering a lot of themes. Maybe not something I’ll have in my regular rotation, Shaka Zulu creates an almost meditative mood that I found incredibly soothing.

When the first song started, I literally got goosebumps - growing up listening to "Graceland" (and considering it the best album of all time) I immediately recognized these wonderful voices! What a pleasure this album was - the resonance, the harmonies and all without instruments, which you never miss. I immediately added it to my Spotify favorites so I can come back to it again and again!

Absolutely amazing! So unexpected, but so good! Took me to a magical, spiritual place, sounds great, lovely and unique technique.

Feckin love this record

Dope album. Virkelig vakkert!

Pure gold! This is the reason to have something like 1001 albums. Loved every minute and probably would not have found without this site!

Only knew them from Graceland. This was a great listen.

Graceful and soothing.

35 years from first hearing this album I still can't find the words to properly describe it. I do enjoy it, though it isn't something that has been on regular rotation. Maybe that will change now

Afrikaaa

Beautiful soothing sounds. Really pleasant relaxing easy listening.

Pure optimism. What a joy to listen to something that is musically amazing but resonates so powerfully.

Pure, rich & beautiful tones. I was fascinated! Paul Simon connection?

Never knew this existed. Great music.

This album was simply beautiful, coupled with the history of the album and the group, it's absolutely an album I would classify as an album that must be heard before you died.

Beautiful

This is the shit I am here for

Woah! I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed this. Fantastic stuff!

I find this extremely calming and beautiful. Wonderful that a group like this achieved international success.

an absolute gem, who needs paul simon anyway

Phenomenally consistent harmonies

A masterpiece. 5/5 stars.

Deeply moving.

Timeless

Este es un buen ejemplo de porque este ejercicio vale la pena. Es un disco que de otra forma jamás hubiera escuchado, y quizás requiera paciencia y un estado de ánimo muy específico, pero en ese contexto es una joya.

lion king meets choir

So I’m a sucker for world music, so I love this so far, although the Spotify link says 1969, not 1987. Love.

This is the first time I've listened to a full Ladysmith Black Mambazo album and I really dug it. It's one I will listen to again for sure!

It's got a beautiful, meditative mood that was only slightly spoiled by my wife watching Love Island nearby

This was a fun listen. I enjoy a capella sometimes and it was a nice break from some of the other music we get.

Zulu is a very interesting language. The singing is amazing. I guess that's all that matters about this album. I really liked it.

Strong 4, had a great time hoovering and listening to this one. I was pulling some moves hitherto never seen before.

This is a fun listen in a background kind of way, and the harmonies are great. Still, I don't think I'll listen to it very often. 4/5 because it's something different and that's the reason I'm doing this challenge.

qué lindo poder escuchar musica sudafricana por estos lares!

I saw Ladysmith Black Mambazo perform a couple of years ago at the Dakota in Minneapolis. The group has gone through several iterations over the years, but the love of the music comes through.

Unexpected. Beautiful singing

Ladysmith Black Mambazo is always a great listen.

mmmmmm

every time they go brrr it heals me. why is paul simon on this how long was he in africa

Sehr schön

I had to find the original recording of this album on YouTube because the 30th-anniversary revisited edition on streaming services is actually a re-recording, which is a bit intriguing considering Shaka Zulu was already a collection of newer recordings of their older hits. I previously mentioned Ladysmith Black Mambazo for their contributions to Paul Simon's Graceland. That record and its subsequent tour introduced the South African acapella group to a global audience. In a good turn of faith, Paul would produce their next record, which would become their first US release through Warner Bros. Records. With all that established, how does Shaka Zulu hold up? Honestly, surprisingly well. It is genuinely amazing the rhythmic patterns that can be created from just their harmonized voices as the collective worked their way through these spiritual chants. Whether it's the humming and ebbing refrain of "reveal yourself" on "King of Kings" or the more powerful oom-pahs that form a driving beat on "How Long", the isicathamiya singing style they employed proved to be very emphatic, and the mix was well done that I could hear individual lines. Granted, it did get a tad repetitive at times with the religious themes and song structures, which is why I can't say I was fully engaged throughout. But more often than not, I was genuinely vibing with this style. There's not much else to say here, as I do consider Shak Zulu to be a solid a capella record. If anything, I'm glad that Ladysmith Black Mambazo got more recognition.

Rate: 8/10.

I can see how this style inspired Paul Simon on Graceland. Soulful, funky

Beautiful and hilarious to be associated with Paul Simon, the whitest guy who ever lived.

I often wondered what Paul Simon's relationship with his backing band on Graceland was like. What a joy to hear a solo a capella offering from them, produced by Simon! I loved this record and will definitely return to it. 8/10

I guess I should thank Paul Simon for this one

A beautiful album. Listening to it slowed everything around me. It was easier to notice things in the world, like the wind in the trees or the gentle hum of the house. Such as intense feeling.

With harmonising out of this world it reminds me I should listen to this band a lot more

Another great surprise from this project. I had no idea South African choir music would be up my alley, but their sound was great and I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

A really cool and smooth album of world music brought to America. Amazing that it’s entirely a cappella. After a while I get a little fatigued by it, there’s not much variation.

I really like this album. I was only familiar with this group because of my love for Graceland. This is an excellent album. I am a sucker for a cappella music and harmonies. This is very concise, very well done and shows the tremendous talent of these guys as singers and arrangers.

Amazing stuff 4

I remember hearing them in concert at Dominican University in River Forest (and possibly another time, too -- Orchestra Hall, maybe?), and thinking a) all of their songs sound (to me, anyway) kind of similar, but b) oh, what a glorious sound it is! If I could sing in a group like that, I would probably do that, too. ;) 4 stars.

I am reminded of why I haven't listened to a whole album by LBM. They sound so good, but there isn't a ton of variety. The songs on this album are like lullabies- Pro: very relaxing, Con: not very exciting or engaging after a while. Their vocal control is impeccable. The use of dynamics, a variety of timbres and ranges, and loose but perfectly synchronous rhythms are all impressive

This is really nice! Beautiful harmonies. Can't speak to significance but a nice album at face value

This is beautiful. Thanks, not Garfunkel!

Fire at lytte til lidt world. Genren er Isicathamiya som er sydafrikansk zulu a capella-kormusik med sådan noget call and response hvilket er tydeligt på næsten alle sangene. De har været med på Graceland som er Paul Simons album, men det her er så deres eget første album uafhængigt af ham så det er jo kæmpe stort også ud fra hvor populært det nu er blevet. ellers er det A capella choral hvor normal instrumental ikke bære det, som får mig til at tænke det er rigtig godt at mixe med noget andet over et beat? kunne sagtens være det skulle bruges i et DJ set. Jeg tror egentlig bare det er med fordi det jo giver sydafrikansk identitet, kultur og tradition et sted på det globale. Både igennem musikken men også igennem deres historie osv. Det var en fornøjelse at lytte til.

The best Paul Simon song that I’ve discovered on this list is “Diamonds On The Souls Of Her Shoes”, featuring an inordinately fun vocal intro Ladysmith Black Mambazo. That sense of fun isn’t lost on this album either. The voice is an instrument and they use it in all sorts of ways. Prideful harmonies, unique vocal runs, even tricks like volume fader emulation. I did feel like I’d kinda heard it all about halfway through the album, but I wasn’t complaining. Need more records like this, less Elvis Costello or Neil Young. 4/5

Wonderful acapella with soothing droning bass parts in a South African chanting style. Evocative and pretty.

8/10

The original release isn't on Spotify, but the 30th Anniversary revisited version is, and I think I like the newer version. It's a lot cleaner, and harmonized.

Very angleic

really beautiful album. didnt understand a single word

Shit's good fam 🗿

Hauntingly beautiful vocal instrumentation

The intro music to Paul Simon's Graceland. What more can I say? African music that is funky, approachable, and full of soul.

Very extremely lovely. The lip smacking sort of got me tho lol

this is stimming music

This was a really fun album to listen through and I love hearing music that I would never have found anywhere else. Despite being acapella the fullness of the songs is great. I found myself just closing my eyes and enjoying through more than one song on the album. While not being something I would listen to daily I loved the experience and that is exactly why I love doing this daily.

It was different. I liked it.

I listened to this on a lazy Sunday morning, which is probably the optimum time to hear it - it’s so soothing. And just when it was starting to wear out its welcome, it finished.

Gorgeous

This is a beautiful recording, but I think of it more of an academic listen than something that speaks personally to me. Regional folk music grants a glimpse into a place that I have never been to and a culture that I know little about. I pressed play and let myself sink into a relaxing sound bath for half an hour. There is such lovely tone to the voices and complex and unfamiliar harmonies to the western listener. It's basically a whole album of the most interesting elements of Graceland and I would absolutely love to hear this performed live. The catch is, that outside of this cultural interest, I can't imagine I will find a niche for this album in my regular listening rotation.

A beautiful album, beautifully performed.

Eine neue Welt damals… Heute ganz nett, entspannend zu hören…

Love it! 1. Unomathemba 2. Hello My Baby 3. Rain, Rain, Beautiful Rain

Very good for what it is, not something I would listen to organically but very beautiful

Listened to it with my mom and she was a big fan #lisaapproved

I'm not sure if I listened to the right version of this but the vocal harmonies were soooo pretty and relaxing. Definitely needed to listen somewhere with nice bass

African a capella choir, very calming

Oh. Ladysmith Black Mambazo is on here. I listened to them a bit after the Paul Simon stolen cultural appropriation album, but this is a good opportunity to revisit their music. There's something about simple choral music that makes it nice to listen to. It's not entirely gospel, but it is very positive music and just feels nice to listen to to mix it up. I certainly think that they're great, but it's not a real representation of African music. I do think they were thrown on here because Graceland is on here, but if I had to choose between the two, Shaka Zulu wins easily.

This is a very pleasant listen. There is something very uplifting in this style of african a capela. It is a lot of the same in the end, but it was a beautiful experience nontheless. 3.5/5

Fun to listen it’s amazing what people can do as a group

It is impossible not to be sway with delight to these rhythms and harmonies. I’ve these legends twice in recent years, including with I believe two original members now in their 70s or 80; they perform annually in my city (Berkeley, California.) Yes, it’s same-y, but it’s the same wonderful embrace all record long.

Was not expecting to get this album today, but this was a very nice listen! The vocals were very beautiful along with the songs being very relaxing.

The kind of album that makes going through this list feel worthwhile. Yes I’ve the band backing Paul Simon on Graceland but I never would’ve thought to listen to a whole album of theirs

Ok journey with this album has been: 1) god thats some good sounds 2) hmm these sounds are pretty similar to the earlier ones idk 3) i’m an idiot these are great and beautiful new sounds Gemma get it together Really loved king of kings and beautiful rain in particular. Not such a fan of how long and hello my baby but overall just a pretty beautiful record.

This was beautiful, love choirs and voices on mass, Wawusho Kubani? was my fave

Can I just say those voices are so lovely! I wasn’t really able to pick out individual songs too well but as a whole I really enjoyed listening to this.

This was one I hadn't heard and immediately fell in love with Heads up as of 1.22.2026 this was not available on streaming music platforms so I did just find it on YouTube 🤷🏻‍♀️

Wonderful - a deep restraint and beauty throughout. So much better than I expected. I'll be revisiting this.

Vond deze wel chill

Wonderful wonderful wonderful album. So beautiful and I knew they sounded familiar when I found out they are the Graceland guys. Great stuff

60s African beats to honor the traditions and create a new harmony.

A bold and unique flare comes with this. Shaka Zulu explores a multitude of themes through Acapella. This album is strongest in it's Zulu tracks, layering on metaphors that dealt with the various struggles associated with living in Apartheid South Africa as Black South Africans. There's nothing standout here, though the stomping on the last track was a definite highlight for me. A definitive album that I'm glad to have heard even if I needed to translate it.

Quite enjoyable South African sound.

Yeah gorgeous! I love this. I think this summer I've been given a lot of angry rock albums and something more in this vibe is what I'm after. My apologies to Linkin Park et al that I have been reviewing negatively.

These guys were pretty amazing, and it makes me think about the 1991 "Concert in the Park." Special combination of voices.

this is very cool. you literally can hear the paul simon influence.

Very soothing

“Hey, this sounds a lot like the choral part of Graceland! Is that racist that I think all African choirs sound the same? Oh it’s the same band, phew”. I enjoyed this, it was different and built up on some of the best parts of Graceland. It feels typical for this list that the only African choral album is one where a western artist worked with them. Maybe not something I’d put on by my self but worth a listen. Going for a weak 4. I realized now I didn’t give Graceland a 5 which is quite odd looking back at it...

Makes me want to listen to Paul Simon

Neat album. Cool sounds. Great voices.

I love the ambience of this album, it’s super soothing and so well-produced! May not revisit much but it’s very good!

feels like a hard album to rate in the context of this list lol but it was pretty good eh

I listened to this one back when it came out. Hearing it again with more years behind me, I'd say I liked it more. I liked each song individually (the English lyric ones a bit less), but as a whole it suffers somewhat from repetition. Not sure what could have been done about that since mostly traditional acapella is what they do. I'd give it a 3 1/2 if we could half, since it is better than my typical 3, but not quite a usual 4 for me.

Tenk at det ikke e en eneste dame involvert i Ladysmith, dét hadde æ ikke trodd! Men sånn bortsett fra det va det ikke så verst.

Stunning. Absolutely stunning.

Exceptional album. Soothing to the soul.

Wow! This was beautiful. I remember in late 1980s/early 1990s there was a huge insurgence of African music, mostly led by Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel. I always found it to be interesting, though I always wondered whether it was homage or assimilation. Listening to this album now I feel spiritually rejuvenated. I don’t know if that’s the right term, but almost felt like a religious experience. I don’t know if I’m the right person to judge this, and I’m pretty sure I’m not. But I really did enjoy this today.

A great album which only misses out on a 5 because about halfway through my ears have had enough of the same notes being repeated too many times in each song. 4.5

Beautiful harmonies resonating deeply and transporting you to a different cultural place.

Day 131 Lovely harmonies, really enjoyed this one. Highlights Golgotha King of Kings

Very beautiful harmonies. I do like Paul Simon's Graceland so this was an enjoyable album to hear the band with their own music. Don't think it's 5* as I did feel like I wanted some music in the end

Beautiful voices and harmony. So chill.

Surprisingly pleasant

7/10… a capella / afro pop / *1987

Very beautiful acappela singing. Tough to get in to since I don't understand the lyrics.

This was very interesting! I think my favourite part of this project has been discovering the various world music entries that come around every now & then, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo is certainly one of them. They're very recognisable from Paul Simon's work but I had no idea until today who they were or that they had their own discography. Good stuff.

Started off listening to the 30th anniversary version that’s on streaming but then learned it is actually a re-recording. Which I found to be a big relief because the original version has a much more intimate sound that I much prefer. I was not vibing with the more sterile sounding re-recording and I was not on board with the kissing sounds on hello my baby. I recommend seeking out the original for this listen

Homeless is constantly in my head. Vibey album.

This album was a nice surprise. I'm usually not a fan of vocal only music. And in case you got a bloody acapella group, I tell you: Begone! These African melodies though have a certain calmness and dreamlike quality to them. Maybe that is the magic of not understanding the language. It was over faster than I wanted it. Which is great in itself!

Aaah, enfin quelque chose de différent que du Ouin! Ouin! 😭😭 de Indie rock de MARDE… pardonnez moi, la dernière semaine a été éprouvante

Pleasantly surprised by this. Had no idea what I'd be getting when putting it on but these guys have really great harmonies and make every song such easy listening. The songs themselves can get a little repetitive but I'm not too concerned about that, was a good listen from beginning to end. You can see why Paul Simon wanted them on Graceland.

enjoyed!

Beautiful voices and harmonies. Very unique pick and glad I got to broaden my music taste

It's hard for me to listen to this without crying, and I'm not sure why that is. I think it is just because it is so beautiful, the way they gel together, the way the bass voices are smooth like butter and the top voices spring to life. It feels like gospel but stripped to its roots, yet intricate and elevated to a heavenly status. I prefer the non-English songs to the English ones, I guess because it adds a certain mystery and the English listener can but their own interpretation on it. Christgau refers to a lyric sheet which translates the non-English numbers, but I haven't found this online. I'll need to grab a physical copy of this and listen again.

Pleasant but very very mellow

Very glad I'm familiar with Ladysmith Black Mambazo now. I didn't realize this but they're more famous than I knew... they're the band Lindsey Lohan skips in Mean Girls "But you love Ladysmith Black Mambazo?!?" haha. My take away is that this is probably the best harmonizing band of all time. It's a bit more like a choir than boy band but they sound better than Eagles/Queen/Fleet Foxes/etc. They're featured on Paul Simon's 'Graceland' album and sound like the backing band for the Lion King intro haha.

4+/5

If you liked Gravelsnd but not Paul Simon, this would be perfect.

This is a really lovely record and an interesting historical artifact. Graceland was a huge Paul Simon hit, and these folks were featured on that record. On the tour, they opened as themselves, and then played with Paul Simon. I think that tour, and this record, plus Graceland, really opened things up in terms of world music and the appreciation of the quality and realization of the variety of music out there. Peter Gabriel famously championed world music with WOMAD and Paul Simon brought it to a broader audience.

High 3, super nice listening

Sí. Escucha obligatoria. África no es Paul Simon, por mucho que Graceland fuera un álbum genial. Ni tampoco el imprescindible Fela Kuti. Música coral, con alma desde la inicial Unomathemba. No fueron unos aprovechados, ni flor de un día, más de 70 discos y 5 Grammys para los bueyes negros. Música sin instrumentos ni percusión, algo que parece impensable en África y que , sin embargo transmite emociones como si fuera sencillo.

Never listened to something like this before, interesting but idk if I will seek out more like this

Very atmospheric

If you’re one of those people that don’t like foreign albums because you can’t understand a word, then this must be your hell because this album is nothing but vocals. Ok, jokes aside, that was pretty good despite being ultra repetitive. Truth be told, I think the repetitiveness is part of the design. You take it in as more traditional African music rather than Pentatonix and it starts to just blend itself in. It’s all in the harmonies, which all sound beautiful. It transcends any need of understanding the language; you can feel it in their music. Add some of Paul Simon’s production and it’s a pretty solid album. Favorite track: Hello My Baby Other hits: Golgotha, How Long, King of Kings, Ikhaya Lamaqhawe, Wawusho Kubani, Unomathemba

After Graceland we'd had our ears opened to this type of folk, a cappella sound. It is something of a best of album as well as they re-recorded many of the songs for this release. Personally, I would trade the haunting sound for a bit of drums.

Pretty beautiful vocal arrangements here and love the rich textures of all the voices. Listened on 11/4/25

Great

This reminds me very much of the vocal harmonies sung by Polynesian peoples - for me personally that's memories of Fijian friends. So easy to get lost in and carried away by, and not for a moment do I feel like anything is missing despite it being entirely a capella. Much like Ágætis Byrjun by Sigur Ros, I don't understand the words they're singing and I don't feel I need to.

Kind of magical, but not my jam.

Favorite Track: Rain, Rain Beautiful Rain

Soothing and calm. Feeling pretty chill now.

Solid listen.

This is why I am doing this project - to discover albums like this. Immensely enjoyable. Becomes a bit repetitive in spots but held my attention throughout…the kind of album that makes me want to build a dedicated home music theater to enjoy it the way it should be enjoyed. 4/5

Really beautiful.

Like a nice warm massage for the soul

Lively and interesting. Don’t think it will make the rotation but a worthy listen.

It's background music, not only b/c LBM famously backed Paul Simon on his seminal Graceland, but b/c it's music of the background, to be preciser. That is, the songs comprise a world unto themselves, a world at a distance from our own and yet too full to be intangible or abstract. These a cappella performances overflow w/ a meticulous peace, and tho there are elements of despair and joy, trouble and celebration, the main ingredient is stability, a settledness and serenity equipped w/ a vital outlet. Chanting is repetitious by nature, but no track here wants a necessary variety. My only fuss is that the accessibility of the record is finally a bit soft, so that, over the course of an entire album, the tranquility it offers wanes from robust to kinda wimpy.

Very pleasing to the ear. Not much of a departure from what had already been heard of them on Paul Simon's "Graceland". I've wondered in the past about whether this type of vocal music is common among their people, or if Ladysmith Black Mambazo were a unique musical entity. Now I know.

Really beautiful music, especially appealed to me because of my own experience singing in choirs. However, because it was so stripped back, I found that a whole albums worth in one go made the songs a little tricky to differentiate. I think I would have preferred to only listen to a couple at a time.

Close harmonies, who needs Graceland?

Great music to wind down. Very soothing. Also fun fact: it's the group that Lindsay Lohan's parents go to see when she throws the house party in the movie Mean Girls!

paul simon produced - very cool

Took me quite a bit to realize there were no instruments and I didn't miss it at all. Just a couple guys and their voice and hands.

This album was very nice to listen to. It's also nice to know a good thing came from Paul Simon's Graceland.

Really loved this today.

Can hear Paul Simon on production for this. Strong, emotion with a great rhythm

Really fun to listen to. I know nothing about this kind of music so it’s hard to judge so all I can say is I enjoyed it,

I thought this was super interesting

Playing catch-up, and what a fantastic album to get back on track... Again, I'm a sucker for harmonization and this is a beautiful example of using vocal blends as an instrument. HOW LONG and YIBO LABO really stick out for me.

This was quite fun. Now I get the reference from Mean Girls

Very nice album. It's not the type of music that I use to listen, but it's really great. I think I'll listen to this kind of music more.

This is the type of thing I was hoping for when I started this project. It’s beautiful.

Not my thing but easy to listen to, I think not knowing what they are saying helped me focus on the arrangement and harmonies so it was enjoyable.

Right up my street - love choral groups.

A pleasure to listen to when unadorned with saccharine Disney strings and some squeaking 10 year old girl pretending to be a baby fucking lion. I always thought it was Lady Blacksmith Mambazo. Whilst their aptitude for metallurgy (the first appearance of this word in the album reviews) is unproven, their ability to sing a capella with absolute perfection is second to none. And that includes The Flying Pickets. The silence is as important as the vocals themselves. To say they are a one-trick pony is like telling Michael Flatley enough with the jig all the time and to do some breakdancing. But the fact is, as a document of traditional folk music, it sounds very uniform; variations on a theme. It takes many listens to pick out individual tracks. The listener's concentration drifts. But the whole thing resonates, and is eminently listenable. One may say it resonates through the ear drums and through the ages.

It's really good. Would I listen to this all the time? Probably not but I'll through it on sometimes

So soothing and exotic. Like sitting under a palm tree and drinking a cool drink, Ladysmith Black Mambazo overtakes you like a dream in a hammock. But after a while, I got a little tired of it.

Very nice, especially when cleaning the kitchen

Peaceful vibe, beautiful singing, very well produced.

excellent stuff

Such a beautiful, pleasant listen. Perfect calming effect on your mood. The harmonies just wash over your brain. 4/5

Paul must've been stuck in traffic or something, but they did fine without him.

I remember hearing LBM on the radio in the 80s and enjoying the sound; I still enjoyed them today. Voices blending into a peaceful sea of sound (okay, I stole that from one of the top reviews - but yes). Also uplifting, and reassuring.

Graceland is one of my all time favorite albums so this was pretty sweet

I bet this would be great to experience in person. On a streaming service, it's background pleasant uplifting harmonies that miss some of that human connection.

I enjoyed this one.

This is a GREAT album. My favorite LBM album is Thuthukani Ngoxolo, but this is another fantastic album! Won Grammy in 1988 for Best Folk Recording Pitchfork: n/a Rolling Stone: n/a Best Songs (It's hard to pick them - they're ALL great) Unomathemba Hello My Baby King of Kings Lomhlaba Kawunoni How Long Yibo Labo Rain, Rain, Beautiful Rain This Little Light of Mine (bonus track on 30th anniversary edition)

It is easy to see why Paul Simon was so take with the world sounds of African music. This album sounds amazing and draws you in even if you don't understand the lyrics. Captivating!

Immaculately produced with the luscious voices of the choir. It makes the songs quote accessible and very easy to listen to.

Beautiful vocals.

Really like the call and response, and the harmonies are great, but it all tends to blend together and feel way longer than the 36 minutes it is. On the other hand, I had to listen to all the songs on Youtube and got ads between most of them which probably didn't help, so I'll give them an extra star and benefit of the doubt on that.

There are some really stunning moments ("Golgotha" being my favorite) and while I don't know how this would ever fit into a regular rotation of music for me, I sincerely appreciated listening to it. Also, I didn't know the connection between this album and Paul Simon's Graceland. Hearing them so close to each other thanks to this project did admittedly make me appreciate Graceland a little more in hindsight, or at least appreciate Paul Simon championing them.

Beautiful but... lacking that one track that I could really sink my teeth into

Gospel/chorus like. Very hypnotic. Good for concentration or just for background noise. Not for everyone! 3/5

Harmonies on this one are stellar. 4.5 bumped down to 4.

Ahora sí, weon. A esto me refiero cuando alego que el pelado Costello tiene demasiados discos aquí, que Joni Mitchell no debería tener más de dos, que hasta el puto Kid Rock aparece en la lista. Este es el tipo de discos que deben aparecer más.

Gorgeous-sounding stuff

Enjoyed this one.

honestly the music was really lovely and the history was very nice

Beautiful sounds and music!

I'm ashamed to say that all I knew of this group was actually a parody that Jimmy Fallon used to do on his old Late Night show (you know, when he was actually funny). He and the Roots would come on and do a parody of Ladysmith, which at the time I didn't get. So years later I realize that they're a real group that actually made some amazing music. Then I got this album, and everything finally fell into place. There is not doubting how beautiful the vocals on this album are. It's incredible what some of these guys can do with their voices, and the harmonies are sublime. When they really get on a roll and layer the vocals so that each section is doing something different, it's just infectious. The only knock I'd have to level at this album is that, despite the beauty of each track, it does become a little repetitive after a while. There's little variation in the arrangements, so it starts to feel like each track isn't too different from the last. I think part of this is my own cultural ignorance, but also partly true as well. On the whole, I'd be happy to listen to this album any time. It's just a joy to listen to. I really hope they aren't signing about anything awful. Four stars. Standout Tracks: Unomatemba, Lomhlaba Kawunoni (The Earth Never Gets Fat), Yibo Labo (These Are The Guys), Rain Rain Beautiful Rain, Wawusho Kubani (Who Were You Talking To)

Really liked it.

I appreciate the level of skill here. Not something I'll ever listen to again, but this was really well done. 3.6

great sounds

Overall it is beautiful singing, but a cappella I can only handle so much of before I start finding myself slightly annoyed, which is what started happening the last 2 or 3 tracks. Worth checking out, but doubt I’d visit this album or the group further. 3.75 / 5

Only one track was available on YouTube Music, but this led to a whole day of listening to Ladysmith and other similar artists. Perhaps too overtly religious for me in some cases, and of course I don't know the language... But, this music is absolutely gorgeous.

I agree with the user who wrote the top comment to this album - the acapella harmonies are both beautiful and lively, and even hypnotic at times. This challenge is worth doing exactly because of albums like this. I've known Paul Simon's Graceland but I wouldn't have listened to an album by Ladysmith Black Mambazo if it wasn't on this challenge. My attention was also wandering a bit so it doesn't get a full 5-star, but nonetheless it was a great listen and a beautiful album. I'm nearing 800 albums and I think this was the first one - and it may be the only one on this challenge - which had no instrument at all, only singing. Great experience which I enjoyed a lot.

This album is a result of collaboration with Paul Simon on Graceland and is a very relaxing listen. They’re a cappella, but don’t hold that against them. This is a peaceful experience.

I enjoyed the rhythm and harmonies on this album.

They sound really good, although I have no idea what they were singing half the time. Kinda all blended together though so didn’t love it. Sounded nice though.

Wtf was that

Another one I never would've come across without the generator. I guess this was the group that collaborated on 'Graceland' and I remember coming away from that listen wanting to hear more from these singers. I did get more, and it's beautiful and hypnotizing. I actually felt at peace for a whole 46 minutes.

Lovely. Don't know if I'll listen again but glad I heard it and have a reference point now.

So good. Even though I’m usually not a fan of a cappella music, it didn’t bother me at all here. 4.5

Interesting choice of an album, very unique style, I have never heard of this type of music before. Kind of like a medieval georgian chants, but much more positive in tone. Pretty cool record.

Decent, it's never something I'd listen to daily but I really enjoy it when I do! Lots of lovely harmonies and beats. Cant go wrong.

Really nice, would defo listen again. Need to be doing nothing and just listening, but really beautiful.

Deep and soulful

Obviously ripped off Paul Simon

This is my final record! 1089! A pretty sensational coda to the list, no instrumentation, just beautiful singing. And and an album from Africa, where so very much of the music in the world has it's origins. Feels really appropriate. Anyway. What if you took the best part of a pretty meh Paul Simon album, and you made that into its own album? Really beautiful. I wonder if there are better records by them, I see there are absolutely loads. I don't listen to much choral music but absolutely love a melody and a harmony. Wonderful how a beat and a rhythm can be plucked out of nothing without a single instrument, even a drum. It's also lovely and sunny this week so this fits perfectly. I love the final track when some form of percussion (claps and stomps) at last breaks in.

So peaceful! I really enjoyed all of them (which might be because they transition so smoothly between each other.)

spiritual voices, swaying and moving together - resonant and moving

Super pleasant and equally impressive, but... Even though I had this playing twice today, I'm also underwhelmed. The harmonics - all happy major - of especially the English songs? The airy production? There's so much shine and polish here that I think this was specifically made for, well, Paul Simon's typical audience of, well, world music savvy Americans. Not for me. 3.5, rounding up.

4/5

Wonderful voices !

I could not find the original version on Apple or Spotify. But I did find an anniversary album on Spotify. Their voices/harmony were perfect.

a really relaxing listen, vocally so smooth and the harmonies are so good. Didn't realise this had moved onto a whole extra album after and just listened to and enjoyed both

Calming yet somehow uplifting at the same time. And unmistakably that sound from Graceland. Love it

Graceland without Paul Simon. I can tell why he liked these guys! Beautiful group vocal singing with clean harmonies!

fun sounds

Refreshing to have some choral music. Aware of these guys after the collaboration with Paul Simon.

fantastic

A refreshing change from the usual transatlantic albums we have on the 1001 list, even if this is a Paul Simon produced album. Despite being a bit samey towards the end, it's a beautiful companion to Graceland.

Soulful 3.7

It's a beautiful thing.

Because I’m not a racist.

Väldigt behaglig bakgrundsmusik. Ingen låt som. Stack ut så mycket, men skapade nice stämning

Good way to start the day

I grew up on Graceland, and it formed some core musical memories for me. As such, I am clearly down with this record. In my opinion, Simon and LBM are best experienced together but this record has an amazing vibes all on it's own. Super.