Shaka Zulu

re-recorded bunch of a cappella african songs, good, but not very exciting

I love Graceland a lot, easily one of my favorite albums of the 80’s (even though it doesn’t sound very 80’s to me). I had never listened to Ladysmith Black Mambazo, but it took all of 3 seconds to recognize their voices from their contributions to Graceland. Shaka Zulu was a fantastic listen. I could listen to this all day. A wonderful album that I’ll be sure to revisit.

Thought this was mid and all the songs pretty much sounded the same. Understand the importance of the band and their influence was why Graceland was so good but not my kind of thing, nice enough relaxing instrumentally kind of choirs but it went on too long

Wonderful vocal ensemble with beautiful harmonies - mesmerizing and hypnotic...

What's one thing we humans all have in common, regardless of nation, race, age, etc. etc. etc.? This album answers that question for me. Had to buy it because not on streaming, and I wanted to own this anyway. Certainly glad I did. Fantastic soundtrack for a hike. Timeless. Beautiful.

That was good, but not my style

Very left of centre but chill and interesting in terms of origin not being western based. Saved on Spotify

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

Album 429 of 1001 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Shaka Zulu Rating : 3.5 / 5 Great music but doesn't necessarily make it a great album. They're better in smaller doses.

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

I feel slightly bad for saying it. But it didn't take long for all these songs to sound the same. Sorry LBM

Schon etwas ganz besonderes, kann man gut anhören, aber nicht zu viel auf einmal, weil es doch sehr ähnlich alles ist.

Delicious music. Yum yum.

Heel knap maar niet m'n ding

Lekker rustig man

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.

My least favorite part of Graceland. Ladysmith Black Mambazo are clearly very talented, but just not my thing. This album displays the boring, whateverness I get from the group. I kept waiting for the music to kick in like Diamonds on the Souls of He Shoes. Instead, I want to skip the whole thing like I do for Homeless every time I listen to Graceland.

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.

pretty cool for a drive - great melodies and harmonies. not an everyday album though.

mééé

Just a fantastic album. Why so short though? I’ve only known this group as the background for Paul Simon on Graceland, but I was glad to finally hear them on their own.

Without a doubt, this is the most different album I've ever heard. Especially because I had never heard an album of just acapella songs before. It's not the kind of thing to listen to casually. It has to be felt and observed, every little thing. It definitely has its value! The voices are very well harmonized. They make whoever listens to them feel comfortable and welcomed.

très cool mais le fait de ne pas connaitre assez ce style me donne l'impression que c'était répétitif par contre la fin était géniale

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

This one was a struggle. I can understand how someone might like it, but it just felt very repetitive and bland. Every song kind of felt similar to each other and also just sort of repeated themselves lyrically. 2/5

Whoa! No instruments! This all-vocal album is an infectious treat, especially if you enjoy harmonization (this practically brings it to its logical end). Listened to: walking in prospect park. Favorite track: Unomathemba

So lovely. Close your eyes and sink into it. Or listen to it while on a train, like I did, and peacefully watch the landscape roll by.

Who doesn't love Ladysmith Black Mambazo?

This album was fine. I was expecting it to be a bit more out there. But obviously it's an important record in terms of turning the west on to African music a bit more. Good listen for sure.

not into this fully 5/10 not terrible but im never going to come back to this out of enjoyment

Surely no accident to get this on May 2nd, 30 years from the day of Nelson Mandela's election in South Africa's first democratic election after the end of apartheid. Paradoxically, because of breaking the cultural boycott with Paul Simon, LBM became the sound of South Africa's freedom struggle in the Western imaginary in the late 1980s. They also became one of the first big groups in the emergent 'world music' genre - bringing a touch of exotic flavor to western record collections. Rooted in traditional Zulu harmony and genre, refracted through gospel choir traditions, the album sounds incredible: it's a recording that captures the depth, subtlety, range, and expressive capacity of the voice and a set of virtuosic performances that manifest the power of collectivity, collaboration and intradependence. I think this is the element of this music that made it rise to its occasion and endure since - the peaceful power and collectively rooted strength that's the foundation of harmony and that provides the platform for individual soloists and melodies to shine.

Nice.

Lacked Paul Simon

Ethereal. Sweet heavenly music.

It's like ear bleach - lovely vibes for the right mood.

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.

Always great to get something different on 1001 albums. I liked this, though it got a bit repetitive at times. Still enjoyable!

this was pretty cool and unique for this list. the harmonies and arrangements sound great, even if the songs all feel pretty similar. love that these guys are world-renowned at this point, with highlights to me personally being paul simon's graceland, the lion king 2 soundtrack, and a mention in Mean Girls. the english songs here were pretty heavy on the Christianity which didn't do much for me but still solid stuff. favorites: hello my baby, yibo labo, wawusho kubani, this little light of mine (bonus track)

It's amazing what human voices can do when they are THE instrument. You can feel the pride of Africa through the rhythmic "oooo's" and "mmmm's". I also wasn't aware that this was the group heard within Paul Simon's "Graceland", so perhaps I'll be seeing (or hearing) these guys again real soon!

beautiful

Really interesting but also pretty one-note throughout

There’s parts of this I enjoyed but overall kind of a banal listening experience. Very plain and muted.

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.

I've heard of Ladysmith Black Mambazo (which will abbreviated as LBM for the remainder of this review), but only because Paul Simon's Graceland is one of my favorite albums of all time. It was interesting to get to hear LBM on their own, and this album featured some really great singing, but it was difficult to give direct attention to it since it was only acapella singing with a lot of that in a foreign language. This album was nice to listen to, and I'm happy for the experience to branch out, but this didn't exactly light the world on fire for me.

It starts fun and impressive, but in the end all songs sounded the same.

Beautiful for a minute or two, monotonous afterwards.

Beautiful but stale

It's amazing and perfect but also gets boring very quick.

Loved it!!! so many good songs! the best vibes! 4stars cause i didnt really know what they were saying! would love to see them live.

A solid album

kind of like barbershop, really

I'm sure it's important and all.

Desde los años 60 el grupo coral sudafricano Ladysmith Black Mambazo había estado recuperando la espiritualidad de la música tradicional zulú (isicathamiya) cantando a capela. Cuando en 1986 Paul Simon grabó su afamado "Graceland" recibió algo más que la colaboración de alguno de sus músicos y decidió producirles el disco "Shaka Zulu" en el que cantan algunas canciones en inglés. Es el caso de "Hello My Baby", uno de sus temas más conocidos. El título del álbum hace referencia al jefe tribal zulú que a principios del siglo XIX dirigió la guerra contra el imperio británico.

soooo peaceful and gorgeous, i really enjoyed it

It's good. But all the tracks are pretty similar sounding. Prefer Graceland, I've got to say.

Erm, not really my thing. It’s ok tho. 2/5

I can listen to it when other music is inserted between the songs. E.g. from the album Graceland by Paul Simon, that loosens it up a bit.

Objectively really good music but not something I could see myself listening to again

Soothing music but sometimes monotonous.

Cool short project, but nothing I need to revisit.

Lovely sounds, very soothing

For some reason only three tracks were available to play.

Música "soul" a cappella africana. Ni fu ni fa.

Música africana. Shooting to fame as the vocal group on Paul Simon's classic album Graceland.

Listened Before? N It was an impressive display of artistry. However, world music is not my thing. I'll give it 2 for the musicianship. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: This Little Light of Mine

It was cool and nice! I don’t have much else to say about it!

1/5 Just vocals; first song reminds me of an AWOLNATION song?

Yes, beautiful, and brings you peace of mind. But after enjoying Sonic youth and Tom Waits albums today of the list I must admit this one just is less for me.

love it, very soulful

all respect but I couldn't stand this

Fine I’ll rewatch Mean Girls

Wasn’t that into this but I’m not racist so 3 stars

A pleasure to listen to

Nice voices. Got a bit repetitive after a while.

Le fait que ce soit 100% a cappella rend l'écoute un peu drabe. D'une pièce à l'autre j'avais toujours l'impression c'était la même chose. Je suis très content d'avoir eu la chance de découvrir de quoi de complètement différent de ce que je suis habitué, mais ça ne restera pas dans mon répertoire. 3/10

Chill 3 Aik. läpyskä 3

Sure it’s great for its genre but not my bag

This was definitely a switch from what we had yesterday so it was very calming. It’s not the type of music I would normally enjoy but it was peaceful to listen to. I don’t think I would listen again to be perfectly honest.

Initial instinct upon seeing this was that I wasn't going to be in the mood for it ... which turned out to be the best feeling because how can you not smile listening to this. Unadorned and clear, almost a gospel sound to it. I've really found that I enjoy non-English albums far more than I'd expected - no focusing on the lyrics and just the rhythm and melodies of the vocals themselves and how they fit with the music. An excellent surprise, and an amazing segue from yesterday's Slayer. 8/10 4 stars.

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

It's fine. Not really something I'll ever feel the need to listen to again.

One of my favorite albums of all time is Paul Simon's Graceland. It uses this band and I have loved this sort of sound ever since. With that saiid, the one thing that that album has that this one does not is instrumentals and drum beats. I had a hard time with just the vocals after a while, it is not something I am keen on, despite the emotional aspects and purity of it. Nevertheless, a remarkable group and a genre that could use a bit more mainstream exposure (if for a bit more instrumental backing).

Beautiful a cappella compositions infusing traditional call and response with barber shop and doo-wop. This is exactly the kind of record for which this list was made. I probably never would have listened to it otherwise but am very glad I did!

Sucker for world music and choir music. I loved their work on the "Graceland" album which is where I first heard of this group. I don't know if the songs themselves really hit too much but the vibe of this record I can have on really anytime. Except maybe if I was really depressed then I'd get annoyed/feel self conscious for some reason.

A departure of styles for me. I didn't dislike it but I can't see how to include this into a regular rotation. All I could think of is "The Lion King"

Album Nr. 47 Mal etwas anderes. Schöner Akapella-Sound. Leider mit der Zeit etwas langweilig.

Good recognition for a lovely collection of music.

I didn't know about the Graceland link until I read some reviews. It is really clear after it is pointed out. Soothing and smoking at the same time.

Soothing and soaring, beautiful harmonies.

Seriously??

p577. 1987. 3.5 stars. Extremely well done and pleasant to listen to, but not my thing at all. Glad I heard it once, but unlikely to listen to it again.

Perhaps best known for being produced by Paul Simon after they were featured on his 1986 album Graceland, the choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo performed traditional Zulu folk music in the a cappella style. I won't lie, I think the performances in English detract a little bit from the music's cultural roots, but the performances themselves are nice. The choral style has a natural flow that gives song a soothing, peaceful quality to them. I found much of Shaka Zulu to be a generally pleasant listen throughout, though it is held back by the limitations of a cappella. I think that form of music tends to face challenges relating to space, as the lack of instrumentation ends up feeling somewhat empty. That said, I want to remain respectful of the music from other cultures so I won't judge it too harshly.

I'm sure there are a hundred albums like this but as I don't know them I'm just gonna have to say it's very good.

A nice listen, but it doesn't really hit me.

1/5 not my cup of tea

It is occasional music. Difficult to know what that occasion might be. One is set aside from ones travails while this is playing.

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.

World Music from 1987 Standouts: Rain Rain Beautiful Rain, How Long, Unomathemba, Beautiful harmonies. 4/5

Like a shit version of The Lion King soundtrack

This is beautiful African music. But for me it gets a bit boring because its mostly acapella. Nothing bad with that, but I like African music that has rhythm, not having the fantastic african instruments that "breathe" rhythm (djembe,maracas) in any song is a sin.

High 3 but not quite a 4

Interesting. Very mellow and great harmonies. This little light of mine was my favorite.

Really, really enjoyed this!

Not bad but don't know how to classify this one

A nice peaceful album. Sounds great, not much else to say.

Mal ein Lied. Aber nicht ein ganzes Album

Mmm sticky

Daylight come and me wan' watch the Lion King!

Very soothing!

Was not available but found a couple of songs of theirs and I love them

I love Paul Simon’s “Graceland” album (it was one of the first CDs I ever purchased!). I had no idea this group existed as I assumed Paul Simon had just hired individual musicians to sing on the album. This is cool music, not something I would listen to regularly, but definitely skilled and fun.

Beeaaaauutiful sound but just too repetitive for me personally

Beautiful vocal work. Worth the listen but will never listen to this again. 8/10 succeeds in exactly what they set out to dom

You love Ladysmith Black Mambazo! Funny because I've had Mean Girls on my mind this week. Shoutout to Stevie for finding this on Apple music for me because I couldn't. Apparently Apple has some organizational issues. This was great, and reminded me a lot of the singers on The Power of One soundtrack. Almost felt like church music too.

Wow, blown away by this one. Don't think I've heard them before, aside from their contributions to Paul Simon's Graceland, which we did get on here. We grew up on the Power of One soundtrack, and that's where my mind went first with this, but here the music is entirely a capella, no instruments at all. It's genuinely insane how much music this group is able to create with just their voices, the rhythms and bass lines are incredible. I found myself less interested in the English songs, but again, everything here is impressive at the very least. This is exactly the kind of album I wanted to find on a list like this, what a world. If you don't see the power and beauty in this, take a hike. Favorite tracks: Unomathemba, Hello My Baby, Golgotha, Lomhlaba Kawunoni, How Long, Ikhaya Lamaqhawe, Wawusho Kubani. Album art: Grey background, some lightly colored icons framed in the center. It's polished, it's clean, and it really doesn't give away the power of this at all. The version I found on Apple Music is a 30th anniversary with a water buffalo in the middle and the icons spread to the four corners. That works too. 4.5/5

Pretty good.

Very interesting, thanks, was a great listen

Like the majority of people I guess outside Africa I was introduced to Ladysmith by Paul Simon. I loved their contributions to his albums and it perked me interest in them. Peter Gabriels Real World Records also generated my interest in similar artists he championed. I was never motivated enough to buy their own music but always enjoyed listening to them as their popularity increased and they were heard more and more on radio and TV. It was good and a joy therefore to listen to this full album and also read about the group on the accompanying Wiki page. However, I don’t think that I could ever sit down on a dedicated listening session but I don’t think the music is produced for that purpose. They suit soundtracks on magnificent African dramas and make the watching memorable. They sing with joy and fun and their music should be reserved for such occasions.

Pretty

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

They were the best part of the Paul Simon album too. Such a beautiful sound.

Ok ok ok but quite bland

There is something truly special hearing musicians give full throttle expression to their art and creating something magical. Ladysmith Black Mambazo are extraordinarily gifted and the music is transporting.

Loved this album, such an enjoyed listen

This is exactly what you would expect a full length album of African a cappella to be. Yes it's beautiful, but once you've heard a song or two, you kind of get the gist of it.

Is it beautiful and captivating? Yes. Is it also very similar from start to finish? Yes.

Background humming voices. Ambient. Its fine. Not crazy about it

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

On Spotify I can only access three songs. They were as good as I remember.

Graceland without the good bits

Lion king core

african tribal a cappella music. these guys are crazy talented. an enjoyable listening experience.

Yeah, it was fine. I wouldn't likely listen to it again, but I get the appeal.

I’m not sure if this is supposed to be ground breaking, influential, or just a personal favorite of the guy running the 1,001 list but it’s not my thing.

Listened to this while cooking and it was v relaxing and nice

So was schlechtes. Gefällt mir überhaupt nicht.

I must admit that Shaka Zulu by Ladysmith Black Mambazo wasn't exactly my cup of tea. While I wasn't particularly keen on the overall style, I couldn't help but appreciate the commendable harmonies that permeate the album. The traditional Zulu influences were palpable, adding a cultural richness that, despite not aligning with my taste, was undeniably present. It might not be my go-to choice, but the skilful vocal arrangements and the group's dedication to preserving South African musical heritage deserve recognition. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 0 STAND OUT TRACK - None

Beautiful and interesting acapella, harmonious and simple.

Something different. I kept thinking there are no instruments but it feels like there are

I don't know why this album is on here, but I like it.

It's pretty hard to evaluate this one, but receiving the different kinds of stuff on the 1001 list is very interesting. It's like a cleaning session from the amount of "same album" from the 80s that sometimes runs the list.

Actually loved this, listen to it whilst driving back from Olly’s place. The weather was wild, very very windy and rainy. Was a great vibe when driving over the Severn Bridge to Wales

37/100 Based on this scale: 1 star - 0 to 19 2 stars - 20 to 39 3 stars - 40 to 59 4 stars - 60 to 79 5 stars - 80 to 100 They're good at what they do, but what they do is a cappella. Granted, it's more interesting than most a cappella, but it's still a cappella. My patience for it is thin.

Good and relaxing. I read this is the same group that worked with Paul Simon on Graceland; nice to hear more of that sound!

Highlights: Unomathemba, Rain Rain Beautiful Rain, King of Kings. In a nutshell: meditative and joyful. This the kind of acapella album you can get behind - it comes from the heart. The harmonies remind me of gospel, spiritual or church choir music, but they're not preachy. I think these performances were an embodiment of hope in such horrible times. Overall: 7/10

3.8/5 Best Track: Lomhlaba Kawunoni - The Earth Never Gets Fat

Not my thing. The voices are nice though.

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.

Pleasant enough to the ear in theory, I guess, but for whatever reason I found myself deeply, deeply bored by this one. 36 minutes felt like 3 hours. It was painful.

Unomathemba- 3.7/5 Hello My Baby- 4.3/5 Golgotha- 3.5/5 King of Kings- 3.2/5 The Earth Is Never Satisfied- 3/5 How Long?- 3.4/5 Ikhaya Lamaqhawe- 3.6/5 Yibo Labo- 2.8/5 Rain, Rain, Beautiful Rain- 3.1/5 Wawusho Kubani- 2.7/5 Total- 3.3/5

Meh. I don’t feel like I NEEDED to listen to this. Just made me tired on my way home from work.

Only 3 tracks on Spotify

3 stars

This was really cool. Definitely not something I’d normally listen to, and maybe that is why it kinda ran together after a while. But still, I quite enjoyed it.

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

The music was beautiful, but I wish it wasn’t purely a capella. I love African instrumentation and I would have loved to have it show up every now and then to break up some of the monotony.

Despite having no idea what they're singing about, it must be uplifting and happy because the music sure is. They can definitely sing and the rhythms and beats are smooth, so it was an easy listen, not too challenging or complicated. Many feel LBM wouldn't have become internationally popular without their contribution to Paul Simon's album, Graceland, but the same could be said back as they helped revitalized Simon's stagnant career back in the 80's. On their own right they are a mighty fine talented group.

One of my favorite parts of this generator is being able to get introduced to beautiful world music like this. A very enjoyable listen!

Great stuff, love these guys.

Nice. Soothing. I was already sleepy when listening to this and it was nice and relaxing. I'd give it a higher score but I don't think it's the sort of thing I'd listen to for my own enjoyment. But I'm glad I did it for this.

Was fine. Kinda background. Would listen again.

Such beautiful voices. Fantastic album.

Rich, beautiful choral music. Makes amazing background music, but it’s worth sitting and intentionally listening to as well.

Great choral/acapella music, peaceful and uplifting.

Very pleasant noises but not something I’ll ever be listening to again

Really enjoyed it! I don’t often listen to this type of music. It was very soothing. Obviously a talented group of singers. Good background music when working too.

The original link for this is missing tracks, at least on Spotify. Listen to the 30th Anniversary Celebration album instead. Beautiful a capella!

It takes special talent to make an almost entirely vocal-based album in a foreign language sound this relatable and beautiful. It's not something I'll probably ever revisit on my own for leisure, but it's an album I'm glad to have experienced. Favorite track: Wawusho Kubani

Beautiful and haunting

Lo que dice la Wikipedia es básicamente lo que sabía de este grupo más o menos. Interesante y que tal vez por el éxito de El rey león y su musical ahora todo nos suena parecido, pero ellos llegaron antes.

What can I say, I'm out of my depth on acappella stuff. I enjoyed this, but it's something I don't think I'll be returning to. Admittedly, there were some techniques (mainly the "lip smacking" ones) that I disliked, but I hate it when people do that in general anyway. Favorite track: "Golgotha"

Not really my thing but in the right mood I reckon it'd be bang on

not our cup of tea fr

I don't think acapella music has to be boring, but this album certainly is. There's only so many times I can hear - guy says a line, then the choir repeats the line 3 times, guy says a different line, choir repeats it, over and over again. They have lovely voices but I need more than that for 45 minutes.

Relaxing background music

30th year anniversary edition is on spotify

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

Not for me

Whack

They sound good, not anything I would ever listen to again though

Not the best. Not available on spotify. Only 2 songs.

Beautiful work

Interesting

Couldn't get on spotify

Super boring, even as someone who doesn't mind a cappella and grew up hearing Graceland all the time. All the songs sounded the same to me.

Really nice album, amazing harmonies.

You know how people bang on about vinyl having analogue warmth? This has that, except for choirs. Zulu appears to be the vinyl of choir voices. Like luxuriating in a warm bath of sound. Do you occasionally expect Paul Simon to pop up? Yeah, a wee bit, but you're not actually disappointed when he doesn't, and that is very impressive!

Beautiful composition. Very relaxing and moving.

A very pleasant morning listen. Hopefully the little man didn't steal too much of the profits - though I wouldn't count on it ...

Soweto sleepy-time tunes.

OBAFGKMN

Peaceful

Only had a few of the songs, wasnt bad

Génial ! Je connaissais déjà certains sons mais l’album a une ambiance unique. Pas fan de certains sons où les paroles se répètent mais le reste compense bien

I was thoroughly impressed by "Shaka Zulu" by Ladysmith Black Mambazo, fantastic vocals talents offering a unique and powerful journey rooted in African culture. Discovering this album was a delight, even if I was already familiar with their contributions to iconic albums like Paul Simon's "Graceland" or the Lion King. Their harmonious voices and unique sound left a lasting impression, and I won't forget their name. However, I must admit that I won't be including this in my regular listening rotation. As much as I enjoyed it, 40 minutes of a cappella can be quite challenging for frequent listening.

What harmonies! You can’t listen to this without coming away feeling peaceful and relaxed.

Cool but not something I'd listen to. Fav: King of Kings

Very awesome.

Simple beautiful. The voices. The harmonies. The melodies. The acapella rhythm.

Super relaxing African beats… I could definitely chill to this sound 4 of 5

Beautiful and soothing. Their voices dig deep into you to the point of feeling spiritual. My ear isn't accustomed to this style and I find it very repetitive. I do not feel equipped to make a proper judgement so I'll give the album a 3. I do not see myself listening to this very often.

Really appreciate African music more and more as I listen to it

Enjoyable listen

Couldnt find the whole album but lots of good spirited sound

4.0 YouTube

2.4/5, vackert att lyssna på men melodierna lät så lika varandra på alla låtar

Apparently the theme for this week is me getting gradually lower quality albums of African origin each day. If I end up getting the African version of Kollaps on Friday I'll be convinced that the guy running this site rigs more than just Christmas albums and albums on days when English royalty dies. This doesn't deserve a 1 because it was good a capella I guess but I didn't enjoy listening to it really at all. I didn't feel like the tracks held up with only a capella and even at 36 minutes it still felt really long; plus I had to listen to this one youtube which is another ding against it.

Beautiful harmonies. I, like so many other people of my generation were inundated with "world" music through things like The Lion King; I never really appreciated it as a kid and had basically written it off (unjustly) because of how omnipresent it was. For all this lists faults, I will always appreciate it for opening me up to rediscovering African music and learning to truly love it. I know I'm barely scratching the surface, but it's exciting to know how much is out there to explore

Had to be in the mood but very soothing enjoyed a lot. 3.8

Amazing work by an amazing group!! I love these sounds they create, I'm so impressed by how they work together like one musical instrument and make the sounds blend. It's magic! I only discovered this group after the album Graceland which I LOVE and this is like taking some of the best bits of that album and making it its own thing (I guess it is literally that) so it's great and I enjoy it very much.

I had a very strange experience with this album. This very Tuesday morning I was listening to recordings of the Fijian rugby players singing and was incredibly taken by it. I read comments that there is lots of similarities to south African music. I had made a mental not to listen to more south African and Fijian choral singing. Later that day I look up album du jour and it was this one! Delightful. I listened twice. Owing to one being quite a drunken listen on the way back from London having seen BCNR with Will and Benji. I think it's such warm magical music and I'm so impressed by the layers of harmonising. Wonderful. I think they have sung lion king songs, must research more

I loved this. Really nice and just what I needed on a Monday morning at work. When it started I thought 'this sounds like Paul Simon's Graceland' then I thought 'wow, you hear one South African band and you straight away think it's the one off of Graceland, aren't you awful' Anyway, turns out, it is the band off of Graceland.

this is a breeze to listen to. Ambient singing if such a think were possible (possibly yes - Cocteau Twins).

Hm not my bag

De voornaamste bijdrage van dit gezelschap aan de popmuziek lijkt me hun medewerking aan het album Graceland van Paul Simon. Want het zijn onmiskenbaar dezelfde heren. Wel aardig voor een keer, maar ten opzichte van wat we al bij ome Paul gehoord hadden, brengt dit album weinig nieuws.

Het is een kunst, dat zeker. Maar ppffff....wat is dit eentonig. En op de een of andere manier maakt de geforceerde rust mij onrustig. Goed dat we dit ook niet-westerse muziek voorgeschoteld krijgen, maar voor mij was het een worsteling.

Hele rustgevende gospel. Ik denk dat dit veel meer indruk zou maken als je dit in een kerk in Zuid-Afrika live zou meemaken. Dat durf ik zeker op mijn bucketlist te zetten. Maar nu beluister ik het uit de goedkope speakertjes van mijn computer en dan is het niet echt muziek om lekker te luisteren. Het is het complete schouw- en luisterspel wat het tot een unieke belevenis maakt. Zoals het nu aan me is voorgeschoteld, is het dus maar 2 sterren waard (want het irriteert niet en is prachtig gezongen). Live at the source misschien wel een dikke 5 sterren.

Ei huono mutta kaipaan kyllä Paul Simonia tai jotain soitantaa taustalle. Haastavaa kuvitella tilanne jossa tää olis ideaalimusaa. Silti 3/5!

Hyvin miellyttävää, mutta en saanut isompia kiksejä.

Maailmanmusiikista taitaa filtteri olla sen verran kova, ettei tälle listalle oo päätynyt kuin hyviä levyjä siitä genrestä. Tykkäsin tästäkin siis, 4/5

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

beautiful voices and very peaceful, maybe a little too Godly

I can't believe the first time I heard of Ladysmith Black Mambazo it was because they were mentioned in Mean Girls. I didn't have a huge preference for any particular song. I just love vocal harmonies in general.

I’m reading through the reviews, the praise but I just don’t get it, and I tried, didn’t give up on it at once even if I wanted to do. I just don’t get any of it

Good to know

It's a capella. That's about what it has going for it. I don't think it's significantly any better or more industry changing than any other a capella group.

The harmonies and style are amazing. I feel bad that I can't understand it. Wonderful music but it's just too much for me to fully grasp.

I feel like this is kinda missing something. I kinda feel that way with most purely a capella or choral music though, with some exceptions here and there. Not bad at all, but I'm unlikely to come back to it.

Beautiful work, didn’t need to understand it to feel it

Great harmonisation but after listening all the way through I'd had my fill.

It’s a career-defining sound, for sure, and with Paul Simon producing it on the back of Graceland, it cements the group’s historical musical relevance. Does it hold up after 35yrs? Sorta?

Super cool album. I’m definitely going to go add this to my rotation.

I have a hard time listening to full albums of acapella music. To me they kind of have a ceiling of my possible enjoyment. I think this is a good entry but wish that there was a bit more momentum to the tracks. I know that's not the point, but limited my overall enjoyment. 3.5/5

makana kävely wibas....historia hymyilee minulle, kun olen tuhonnut sinun kaltaisesi ja muut ympärilläni olevat tuholaiset (sota julistettu)...war music...hell music... unomathemba

It was an ok album, I can appreciate that they are a great African acapella group but really not my cup of tea. Without wanting to offend anyone it reminded me of the soundtrack to The Lion King. Best: Hello My Baby Worst: Wawusho Kubani?

Given a complete and total lack of context for this style of music I am really unsure how to approach a review. I suppose my main takeaway is that for what this is it sounds absolutely beautiful. The production is remarkably clean and it is awe inspiring what this group of men are able to do with their voices alone. The supporting harmonies are incredibly rich and often heartwarming (not dissimilar to a nice cup of cocoa on a cold day). The coordination is impressive as the groups move fluidly and interact with one another. For the 40 minutes this was on I was filled with a certain sort of bliss and that can't be discounted. That said, despite the positivity throughout the listen this isn't an album I can imagine myself reaching for again. Thankful for this one pass if nothing else. Solid to high 4.

There is no doubting that these songs are beautiful, but 46 minutes of acapella is not really engaging to me. Took me 3 days to listen to this in parts. A lot of these songs would be cool as interludes in a non-acapella album. Fun note; it was produced by Paul Simon! Overall takeaway: good album objectively, but subjectively I was ready for it to be over after 2 songs because acapella was just not my jam.

Not for me

Pretty enlightening stuff listening to this early in the morning while at work. Feels like a Lion King song that goes on too long though. It was good for what it was. But 99% chance I don't come back.

Was nice to hear something different even if I didn't like it much

meh, not actively unpleasant but very boring

I was excited for this but it just kinda bounced off me.

It is what it is I guess? Some obviously good singing, but I'm not always going to be in the mood for something like this

The album is a bit one note, but it's a beautiful note, at least. Not something I'm going to be in the mood for every day, but I can't deny that I enjoyed what I heard.

Terrible verga! Es un coro 'tribal' de negros, tipo el awin mawe del Rey León.

I love listening to music from around the world, it is one of my favorite aspects of this project!

very cool

No disrespect to traditional folk music of any kind, I think this stuff is really cool. That said...I didn't really like this album all that much. It's basically just an a capella record, and the vocal harmonies are good, but there just isn't much of substance that I really gravitated to. 2.5/5

Nice voices, but A Capella music never really did anything for me.

I remember hearing their name dropped in Mean Girls and realizing it was the name of a musical group, then looking them up and realizing I've already known some of their work. If I had been Cady Herring though, I would've gone with my parents to the concert.

Varför? Det här är ju jättedåligt.

Not my jam

This was a nice listen (I had to go to YouTube to get the whole record in a playlist), the vibes were great. Not normally a genre a listen to and probably not something I would revisit, but I definitely didn’t dislike it.

Fun. But very samey.

The music seems ancient as if pulled from deep within the earth.

12th July 2023 Listened a day late in the morning while doing chores. Spent yesterday “working” and watching mission impossible 3. Did a tour of Glos hosp with Alice in the evening. This was like listening to one long upbeat prayer.

grande trabalho vocal a capela, interessante

Une intro très sympathique qui va se prolonger puis s'éterniser jusqu'à la fin de l'album.

Les africanaiseries de Robert sont absolument inaudibles.

I kind of loved having this play in the background. Maybe because of how much I relate it to Paul Simon, but regardless - pretty great background music.

The unadorned human voice can be a beautiful thing, ably demonstrated on Shaka Zulu. However, I would probably enjoy a nibble here and there as opposed to the whole cake. A full album of this rather hushed, worthy music is a little too much. There's simply not enough in terms of variety to keep me rapt. I need a mote of grit in the oyster, if you can dig it. An interesting sideline that differs from much of what I listen to, but nothing more.

If there's a more beautiful album on this list, I'm going to be very surprised.

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.

Unjust that this has stayed in the book while Songhoy Blues got cut

Good on them for cashing in on Paul Simon's Graceland success, but if I'm honest, there's was always the song I skipped on that album. Talented? Without a doubt. It's just I wouldn't listen to acappella music in English so I wouldn't here either. Best Tracks: Unomathemba; Hello My Baby; How Long?

Wonderful world music - if that's still there right term. Nothing but voices, but absolutely beautiful and uplifting.

Album van de Zuid Afrikaanse a capella groep Ladysmith Black Mambaza, geproduceerd door Paul Simon. Bestaat deels uit nummers in het Engels en deels in het Zulu, Hoge productiewaarde en goede muziek, maar niet erg toegankelijk. leukste nummer: Unomathemba De groep werd in Zuid Afrika verboden om aan wedstrijden mee te doen omdat ze te veel wonnen.

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!

This was really cool to listen to. Not something I would ever thing to check out but I'm really glad this was on the list.

This isn’t music I typically lean to however the harmonies mixed with the rhythmic qualities are really, really solid.

Interesting

Very enjoyable but it's hard to tell where one track ends and another begins. Fave tracks Hello My Baby and Rain, Rain Beautiful Rain.

Very pleasant listening, though perhaps a bit one note. Fave track - "Shaka Zulu (King of Kings) - love the clicking! Also enjoyed the ululations on "Homeless" though I think that's a bonus track...

I don't want to get on Paul Simon's bad side. But then again, fuck him. He's got a Napoleon complex of sorts. That's neither here nor there, just worth mentioning.

3.4 - A pleasant novelty from this Kenyan a cappella group.

Shaka Zulu is fabulously produced but a little samey and doesn't really go in some of the directions we know they can based on their collabs. Soothing but not interesting.

Production is great (really emphasising the voices and somehow making it feel like they're all around you when you listen, even not on headphones), and their voices are great, but on its own it's nowhere near as interesting as when Paul Simon brings it into Graceland. Glad I listened to it (and did so twice), but won't revisit. 3/5.

A showcase of incredible African a capella made by the people who worked with Paul Simon's Graceland. Incredibly creative and unique in the way they use their voices to create immersive sound effects. I'm bored and tired of most of the record, with quite a bit of repetition - there's only so much they could do - but there are lovely moments that manage to grab my attention. Even though I'm not a big fan, it's excellent in what it sought to accomplish. Favorites: Hello My Baby, Golgotha, How Long, Rain Rain Beautiful Rain

Lyhyt levyllinen leijonakuningasta. Ei tarvitse ehkä toise kuunnella, ellei sitten ihan vitsillä.

Rauhoittava, sellaisenaan itse asiassa tosi hyvä, mut ei tää kahta enempää saa

Not bad exactly, but very much not my style

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

Seemingly every non-English album here is a novelty. African church choir a cappella, no exception to that rule, is not something I can do much of. My flatmates at uni would've played this to show off how cultured they are (and ignored that it's all about Jesus) while smoking fake weed they bought from the happy high herbs shop. Half an hour was the limit. Not actually bad, but pretty niche. 3/5.

Feels like i've listened to Lion King OST

tssk smooch trrrrrr

When you put on the Lion King, but only the audio works.

Nice to listen, but nothing special.

I liked it a lot more than my prejudices led me to believe. I'm not a fan of a cappella music, but I must say that I found a certain form of hypnotism, calm and rest in it. I don't think I'll get back to it, nor that it's a major album in history of music, but it was a pleasant listen.

Enjoyable and easy to listen to, even if it doesn't really interest me particularly. 3.5

The production on this is great; it feels like you're being surrounded by voices all in harmony. I liked this but it's not something I'd listen to again. I LOVE their contribution to Graceland but on its own, it's a bit repetitive for me. Would rate 3.5 stars.

I like to hear the odd track, but this album became monotonous after a while and I definitely didn’t want to listen again.2*

Fine if a bit bland. Ended a bad run so probably more relief than anything.

I'm going to put this in the category of "this isn't for me and I don't understand it," but that doesn't make it bad. I gave it a fair chance and listened to it front to back on a walk, but I can't see myself revisiting this. Keeping my score neutral...

This was a pleasant change up. Also made me curious why ODB referred to Shaka Zulu in enter the 36 chambers

3 2 I'm sorry this gets really boring