Shaka Zulu

smellnir afríkusöngvar. frekar róandi og gott. 3,5.

i have an overwhelming desire for some Heinz tomato soup.

What does Shaka Zulu eat for breakfast? Lamb chops

Huh. An acapella South African band? A very good record? Yep.

Epic chil…

Nice african acapella music, harmonious and spacy I hope calling it acapella is appropriate

Supa chill

I don't have a lot on this. The group got popularity from influencing Paul Simon on that record, and this is all foreign a cappella.

Rating: 6/10

Feckin love this record

Listened to it three times without ever really listening to it. Enjoyable without being captivating.

I love the sound but it just gets very repetitive.

Ik vind dit echt geweldig klinken. Maar een heel album met dezelfde zang is wel echt teveel van het goede. Zoals vaak is 1 nummer leuk maar is een album gewoon niet leuk. Een verzamelalbum met af en toe een nummer van Shaka Zulu zou wat mij betreft de voorkeur hebben. **

I enjoyed this album, but doubt I’ll listen again. They did a great job singing and all harmonizing, but there’s only so much you can do without instruments before it becomes repetitive. 3/5

Obviously not getting anything out of the mostly non-English lyrics, but nothing to fault with the music, top tier for tight vocal harmony.

The real heroes on that Paul Simon album.

afrikka pojat näyttää mitä on todellinen mustien musiikki.. ei ole R&B paska... heh ei ole.. Jasz.... Jaszkaan.. ei ole... Bluesko.. siinä vasta edistyksellinen genre... sekö mustien musiikkia... Ei ole..... ei ola.. ei ola... Ulkomaalaiset sanoo näin.. Ei ola....ei ola.. Missä musta vaaraa liikkuu.. Kyllä.. Kaikkialla... Ompi siis... World...heh siinö vasta sanaleikki.. Kuorolaulanta oli tässä hienoa arvostan. Objektiivisuus vetää kuitenkin... Kiva kuunnnella ja erilaista, mutta en voi kahta tähteä enempää antaa.... Tarinat oli rikkaita... rikkaus voi olla tavallistakin.. afrikkalaisessa.. kulttuurissa.. mutta harvoin afrikkapojat laittaa genredefining avantgarde lyriikoita.. Tässä sais lyriikoilla tehtyä vaikka ja mitä.. Kolme saavat.. Kun oli niitä enemmän kun kolme laulajaa...

I can see the beauty in this album, but it’s not for me. Rating is based off personal enjoyment; rather than objectivity.

Not my style of music. Interesting as a new listening experience, but not something I enjoyed, unfortunately.

not a big accapella fan

This album is just the boring parts of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” on loop for 36 minutes. It sounds like one long continuous song, couldn’t tell you the beginning or end of anything, it all blends together and it isn’t even in an interesting way.

Interesting history, unfortunately not my thing

This has been one of the absolute finds of this project for me. I was aware of LBM through the Paul Simon album Graceland, and seeing them on British TV in the 90s. I was pretty ambivalent towards them in my youth, and enjoy their embellishments on Graceland. This was an absolute delight though. The vocal arrangements are so delicate and perfectly put together, and it is simply a joy to listen to. Otherworldly; holy. Five stars - I will keep coming back to this.

This is the type of album that makes me thankful for this project. I might not have been exposed to it otherwise and that would have been a shame. This album is equal parts energizing and relaxing. I will have to check out the rest of their albums.

I loved listening to the melodies and sounds that made up the songs. This was absolutely beautiful, and I can see myself turning this music on again in the future.

These guys are so tight, their voices blend magnificently. It gets a little samey, but damn if it isn't beautiful.

I am a big fan of this, although I do wish there was maybe a bit more rhythm like that of the last track.

The sound is gorgeous and haunting but I’m not sure I’d want to listen to a whole album of it

beautiful voices, just not for me.

A pleasant journey into African folk music, can't say I've listened to the genre outside a lion based disney movie but it's for sure relaxing and I do like the use of clicks. Have saved a bunch for the world playlist but might come back to relax. Favourite tracks Unomathemba, Yibo Labo

This album is recorded so well that it feels like the listener is surrounded by the singers. The vocals are warm, inviting, and most importantly, incredibly well done. The singers in Ladysmith Black Mambazo show on this album that they are not merely background singers for western artists, but are serious artists in their own right. The gospel like melodies make this album accessible to western ears, but for me, the honesty and beauty in the voices resonate with me, even if I cannot understand most of what is being sung. That emotional connection without understanding is what makes this album great.

I definitely remember them from the Paul Simon album, 'Graceland,' and it was such a huge record at the time. I know that Ladysmith Black Mambazo had a lot of success in the US and elsewhere following that album, and I did hear some of their music from this and other albums. It's beautiful stuff. Love the vocal harmonies and emotional content.

Beautiful

A pleasant listen with phenomenal harmonies.

5/10 cool and soothing but it felt so repetitive

6/10. Kinda nice, not something I'd normally listen to.

A capella. 4/10

Serene and happy. It would be nice as background Sunday music, but this is just about the last album I would choose to actively listen to

Certainly an album worth listening to once before I die. Pleasant, but not my thing, thank you.

What I've read about this suggests that this group/album may not be the best of the genre, but they are the ones that popularized it. I wish I knew enough about it to suggest an alternative, so instead I guess I'll voice my disappointment that they couldn't find a better representative. Best track: Unomathemba

really fun! good vibes I doubt I’d ever give this a second listen but it’s certainly fun enough to hear once 8/10

Appreciate the chance to listen to something I'd never choose to and admire the talent that went into creating this. However after ten minutes I realised that it's just call and response songs and each track had nothing new to offer. The 36 minutes of this album really dragged.

Great vocal work. Powerful

first listen absolutely beautiful and a shame they only became known because of Paul Simon

Smooth, sweet sounds. Given the name, I was expecting a female choir, but no they are all male. Very pleasant.

Really gorgeous. Warm, joyous, uplifting. I'm pretty sure I added a day to my life listening to this. Fave Songs: King of Kings, Golgotha, Lomhlaba Kawunoni, Unomathemba, Wawusho Kubani?

eh

Certainly interesting but I'm not sure it's something I'd really listen to much. I feel like the Paul Simon influence is noticeable. Seems a bit like Americanized African music which seems almost vaguely exploitative at this point?

Spiritual, minimal, beautiful

Dope album. Virkelig vakkert!

Pretty good.

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

Ladysmith Black Mambazo's "Shaka Zulu" is a rare entry of "world music" in the exclusive 1001 club. It's presumably very unlikely the group would have appeared on the list if they hadn't become known to Western audiences through their involvement in Paul Simon's "Graceland", and Simon subsequently producing this album to high praise in the Western world (it reached no. 34 in the UK albums chart, becoming the group's only effort to go anywhere near such a place). Of course, it's great to hear it here, and I'd never listened to a full album by the group before, but it does once again make me wonder how much incredible music from non-Western countries and cultures must be missing from the list, simply because white male rockstars weren't involved. Anyhow, on to the actual content of "Shaka Zulu". It first appears far removed from any Western rock or pop albums so is a little challenging to adjust to, but it is blissful, peaceful and meditative. Most of the words are sung together in deep, rich harmonies, with a range of vocal percussion including tongue clicks, rolling "r"s and- most surprisingly- kissing. It's all impeccably performed with a great clean sound to let the performances shine: there's nothing I could fault and I don't know the first thing about isicathamiya or mbube to give any comparisons. There are moments of familiarity here and there: as well as many of the songs being performed in English, the harmonic structure is very easy on the ear and the implied chord progressions would not be out of place on "Graceland". At heart, "Hello My Baby" is a very direct, simple love song. "King of Kings" is a stirring plea to God for peace, where the emotion behind the stunning technique is most on display. "How Long" feels slightly more Western-influenced, even employing an unexpected walking bass blues scale. The inevitable drawback is that a solely a capella recording is unlikely to stay engaging for very long. Even at 35 minutes, the sound began to wash over me on each listen. The claps and stomps towards the end of "Wawusho Kubani?" feel like the dawn breaking, the world waking up after being wrapped up, hushed and enchanted, in a blanket of sound. "Shaka Zulu" has been a great introduction to this style of music: it's certainly a worthy addition to the list if not going to be on regular rotation.

The musicianship is absolutely fantastic for what this band and this music is. What it is however isn’t for me. That’s not to take away from the utter beautiful found within this albums songs…I was just bored at some points.

enjoyed this

Such distinctive voices and such rich harmonies. It’s all very calming and feels good for the soul, like going for a nice walk in the African countryside. I do think I’d prefer it if the choir occasionally had musical accompaniment though, like on Graceland, to add a bit of colour. Still, for an entirely a cappella album to hold my attention is no mean feat.

did not expect acapella

Relaxing, and the first album I feel asleep to, which no other album has even come close when I try. Not much actually notable about each song though.

Fav songs: - Unomathemba

Relaxing listen, only really heard world music live before now

Don’t know enough to be entirely critical but I think this is considered a good album. Talented for sure!

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

Enjoyed

Really amazing album. I've never listened to this one in full and it was great music to have on while working. It flows from song to song really well and just has a great vibe. I could definitely continue to revisit this one. Standout Tracks: this is difficult because it flowed very naturally through the album, so I didn't always clock the specific songs. It's really nice as a whole piece.

"Shaka Zulu" is a studio album (I believe it is their 24th) from the South African male choral band Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The South African musical style is called isicathamiya which is best described by the European style a cappella. This album followed their collaboration with Paul Simon on his album "Graceland" and was actually produced by Paul Simon with assistance from Ladysmith Black Mambazo founding member Joseph Shabalala. This album is quite good. An album that lifts up your spirits. Great harmonies. The band recorded some older Mambazo songs as well as some actually in English. The album was the bands' first international hit and won the 1988 Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Recording. "Unomathemba" begins things and the first thing you notice is the beautiful harmonies. It is happy sounding. They're laughing. They're keeping the rhythm with their feet stomping. The second song "Hello My Baby" is sung in English. There's kissing sounds. There is chanting. "Lomhlaba Kawawunoni (The Earth Never Gets Fat)" is one of my favorite songs on the album. Just beautiful harmonies. Sung in their native Zulu language. The album ends with "Wawusho Kubani? (Who Were You Talking To?)." More chanting. Hands clapping adds to the rhythm. Another song highlight. One of my favorite things about doing this challenge is coming across albums that you haven't heard before and you like. This album definitely is one of those. And if anyone likes the Paul Simon "Graceland" songs "Homeless"and "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" you'll probably like this since Joseph Shabalala was featured prominently in those songs.

Can't do this either - bloody lion king graceland nonsense. Yes it is beautiful music, so is throat singing and polka, but I cannot listen to any of it

Traditional African music has always interested me. While I was not at all expecting this album to be a cappella, I enjoyed it all the same. Favorite track: Wawusho Kubani?

pretty good international album!

C’est relax ça. La seule chose que j’aime moins, c’est l’influence américaine dans quelques chanson. J’aurais aimé que ce soit encore plus authentique.

Intéressant d'avoir un album de ce genre dans cette liste et ça a tout à fait sa place. Par contre, ce n'est pas dans mes cordes, mais je suis tout de même content d'avoir fait cette écoute.

I want to give this album a 2 but I really can't as it's not a bad album. It's just not for me. The singing beautifully comes togheter in harmony on this album and they're so talented. I'm glad that I listened to this album but it's not something I would listen to again.

Perfect, presumably. I don't know. An all-male gospel-leaning South African a capella group is a fairly esoteric thing. And yet it's universally accessible to anyone without intractable hostilities to "other sounds". Paul Simon increased their profile, of course, and well done to him. But don't stop at Graceland. The intricacies of their sonorities, grunts, supernal harmonies, and (apparanetly) danceable rhythms (don't try it in public, do try it at home) pack unearthly pleasures. Earthly ones, too.

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

I enjoyed listening to this album. Although the sound is full with all the variety of vocal sounds that fill the soundstage, a full album of acapella (choral?) music is too much for me. I'm glad I heard this album, but once is probably enough for me. 3 stars

Produit par Paul Simon! Pas mauvais, ancêtres des groupes a capela! Pas ma vibe mais pas pire!

Ladysmith Black Mambazo were the backing band on Paul Simon's Graceland, and this album sounds like it. ... Except for the fact, that all of the songs are a capella. It sounds nice enough, but just isn't my cup of tea. 2.5/5

I can appreciate it for what it is,but would I relisten? No.

This was good, but the songs sounded the same and kind of blended together.

Not a fan of a cappella, even in this style. Although I can appreciate some elements, it's rather repetitive and not what I'm looking for – at least right now. The guy inserting, what only I can describe as, a "rolling z" sound throughout the record really annoyed me for some reason. I think it was supposed to come off as playful and funny perhaps, but landed as nuisance to my ears.

Very pleasant, soothing, cozy even. No edges on these harmonies just a pretty, thick blanket of song. I especially dig the lower range voices which are so resonant on this recording. Lovely.

Good to hear something different, not bad, but not really my cup of tea

I love this!

Relaxing african a capella gospel music. Puts you in a good mood during the work day!

So random, and equally good.

Never herd it but Paul Simon is apparently the producer so it must be good… The album opens with unimathemba it’s like a chant of sorts I get it as a song and as an album opener but this is just not for me. I thought that there was going to be some sorta instrumental workings within the album but no hello my baby is just a worse song the singing in English doesn’t work all too well compared to the African lyrics from before. Golgotha is also dull I hate to say it but this music is not good. King of kings is slightly better I guess but still nothing I like personally. Lomhlaba kawunoni is a shortie still the same criticisms as before nothing is making me like this. How long has some good harmonies I’ll give it that but still not really hitting in a good way. Ikhaya Lamaqhawe ( in the book) is noted as one of the “ top tracks” but I don’t get it it’s just not it’s so boring. Yibo Labo is odd it had random bits of talking in between the songs I like the uniqueness but it doesn’t work. The penultimate track rain rain beautiful rain It’s alright I guess, still doesn’t appeal to me in any way but if I had to choose this would be the best to far. Wawusho kunani closes the album the clapping was a nice treat but i’am still no fan whatsoever. Well just because a musical talent that you like produces an album doesn’t mean it’s one of the 1001 must listen albums 1/5.

This has been a really important album to me that I’ve listened to be fore and I’ll listen to again, but on this listen through I didn’t find it as engaging as a I have in the past

Music from the black soul. I like it.

Yeah, I like this, it’s good… But do I like it half as much as if it were feat. Paul Simon? Pretty much.

I know I’ll be coming back to this one. A very soft 3.

Omg. I expected not to like this album. Boy was i ever wrong. I love it. It's relaxing and it will definitely get an add in my shuffle

"But you love Ladysmith Black Mambazo!" A lot of people know this group from that classic Mean Girls reference. And while Cady (the REAL Cady, not the Plastics Cady) has great taste, that's actually not where I first heard about them. I heard them in a song many years ago on a Josh Groban album on a song called "Lullaby". It's worth a listen, you should look it up. But regardless of where you first heard about them, they're great. Their sound is relaxing and mellow but without putting you to sleep. I can't tell you how many albums on this list are just DULL, or so mellow that they're basically rocked me to sleep. This album's a nice middle ground that way. Fave track: "How Long?" Harmonies are killer.

Liked it way more than I thought I would. Good stuff.

If I was to describe this album in a single word it would be "evocative". Spectacularly recorded and produced by Paul SImon, you can see why this album was a global smash. Unlike most crossovers though, this one feels like it keeps most of its spirit without falling into the trap of diluting the sound to appeal to a western audience

A rerecording of a selection of the South African traditional folk acapella super group's past hits for an international audience. The harmonies and voices are beautiful and relaxing, and the captured beautifully by this recording. I'm less keen on the English language songs. Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: Unomathemba Date listened: 06/07/22

What was interesting as counter to Paul Simon just fades to humdrum on its own.

Afrikaaa

I like the style of the music, it is really cool. Good easy listening. 3/5 I need to be in the right mood to listen to it

Beautiful soothing sounds. Really pleasant relaxing easy listening.

Beautiful vocal harmonies. Enjoyed the seemingly random (probably wouldn't seem random if I could understand the lyrics) interjections of laughter, exclamations, rolling r's, small shouts, etc. Wish there were more of that to break up some of the monotony. Interesting, esoteric, unique.

A great argument to listen to more foreign language music

6/17/2022 - ALBUM #141 Today's Album: "Shaka Zulu" by Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Whereas the last album was very difficult to unpack, this one is quite easy. It's a collection of acapella tracks performed by a chorus of South Africans. Sonically, it stays pretty consistent throughout. The voices all are mixed very well to create a really nice ear-feel throughout the project and it begins to feel like you're in the center of this really soulful African campfire chant. All of the vocals sound super in tune and just overall solid throughout, with a really great vocal tone and inflection that the entire chorus is enacting. It definitely isn't the easiest thing to just throw on and enjoy from to bottom as the inflection in which the chorus sings each line does get a bit grating after being repeated over and over, but again, it does sound pretty pleasant throughout. The highlight Hello My Baby is mostly spoken in English so it makes it most accessible for sure, but I think the rest of the tracks have a level of quality pretty consistent to it, with the only difference being that they're not in English. Overall, this is a really interesting stop in this 1001 album journey, but it does just get to be a little bit much by the end of it. Give it a listen if you're super into South African a Capella and if you're not sure if that's your thing, give Hello My Baby a listen and see if you want to dive deeper. Highlights: Hello My Baby Score: 5.5/10 Very interesting South African a Capella songs.

Just not qualified to judge this but I enjoyed hearing it and I will listen again. I get the links to doo-wop and gospel, though I have no clue how innovative or subtle, etc. this might be. One is glad that world music, a mockable trend, did offer benefits such as introductions to bands such as this.

African a capella group. Enjoyed this, though it was a bit samey. Out of 207 albums I believe this is the first African artist, which is inexcusable considering the human history of music.

I liked it, but to be honest it gets a little boring for an entire album, as opposed to being mixed into a Paul Simon album or something along those lines. 3 stars.

Interesting, not really my thing tho. Good background music

I'm going to Graceland

un album avec un bon fond, ca sonne graceland sans paul simon et les insturments. C'est très bon et relaxant. Je n'ai pas trouvé ca trop long mais ca prend le bon moment pour l'écouter. Cependant, il y a un peu de répétition. 3.5

Haunting...

Great! I’ve never listened to this album before but I enjoyed it immensely!

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

African choir. Beatiful harmonies, but boring

They are probably the most iconic inclusion on the Graceland album, and what made me fall in love then is on full display here. They demonstrate how little is needed to make beauty and emotion in music.

Like the majority of other world music albums, nice to hear for the first time and learn about it, but nothing more

Africana a capella. Se hace aburrido

Good, but not for me

Chilled, melodic and beautiful, just lacking intensity and variety.

I didn't enjoy this but I didn't hate it. It's definitely out of my wheelhouse and it's hard to really judge it. I definitely don't have any desire to ever hear it again.

I listened to this album seven hours ago, and I'm STILL waiting for Paul Simon to start singing.

I respect a lot the tribal or traditional local music, but I can't stand listening to a whole album. It's boring for me. Sorry.

Loved this music. Will be exploring more of their catalogue. Had obviously know that Paul Simon worked with a South African group for Graceland but didn't know they had so many albums of their own. 4/5

great album

the kind of music I feel bad for not enjoying. but a pleasant departure from the normal fare on this list

Bestenfalls erreicht es mich nicht, ansonsten einfach nur langweilig.

The album was interesting. I did not understand what was being said most of the time but that is alright. I do not think I will listen to the album again but I did not skip any songs and did not feel the need to skip any songs.

O takie picki wlasnie nic nie robilem, powiew swiezosci prosto z afryki, moze tak prosto, bo plyta prawdopodobnie byla nagrywana w tym samym studio co Graceland Paula Simona, nie jest to bez znaczenia, bo tak jak ladysmith black mambazo mial swoj udzial w nagraniach materialow u Simona, tak Simon jest obecny na tym krazku jako osoba odpowiedzialna za produkcje i miedzynarodowy sukces tego zespolu z Ladysmith RPA, Shaka Zulu to 36 minutowy album zawierajacy jedynie wokale, wiec w zachodnim okresleniu gatunku bylby to album a cappella, ale w afryce na taka forme muzyki mowi sie isicathamiya, oznacza on tradycyjna muzyke ludu Zulusow, ktora bialy czlek rozpozna zwlaszcza po klikaczowych dzwiekach ktore spiewacy potrafia z siebie wydawac, juz wczesniej pojawila sie na liscie podobna pozycja od Pani Miriam Makeba, ktora podeszla do tematu bardziej w stylu muzyki popularnej, natomiast panowie z black mambazo daja bardziej kaplicowego viba, dodatkowo idealnie zbalansowana jest ilosc utworow w jezyku angielskim i zulu, czlowiek slucha czegos z czego slowa nie rozumie zeby plynnie przejsc do czegos rownie egzotycznego, ale juz z slowami ktore potrafi rozszyfrowac, rownie ciekawe jest jak jeden sukces potrafi zbudowac inny, gdyby pana Simona nigdy nie wywialo do afryki i akurat do tamtych rejonow, to o kapeli pewnie nikt poza rodzinnym krajem sie nie dowiedzial, a tak po sukcesie gracelanda udalo im sie sprzedac tak unikalne brzmienie szerszemu gronu sluchaczy i prawie 40 lat pozniej zespol nadal funkcjonuje, prowadzi fundacje majaca promowac kulture i muzyke zulu i nadal jest sluchany, jak nawet na urodzinach u krolowej z buckingham grali w 2k18, z 10 kawalkow na plejke rzuce po jednym z obu jezykow, zulusowm pickiem bedzie otwierajacy unomathemba, z angielskiego natomiast deszczowy song, zupelnie inne zabarwienie emocjonalne ma deszcz jesli jest spiewany przez kogos z czarnego kontynentu, wiec rain, rain, beautiful rain

very African, quite cool

I'm not a fan of acapella. I was really dreading listening to this 40-minute album in a language I don't speak and in a genre I don't care for. That being said, this is probably the best acapella album I've ever heard and I didn't hate it. Very chill, surprisingly doesn't get that repetitive and annoying. Made me feel something that isn't on the general list of emotions. Some bizzaro emotion like dorcelessness.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! Wasn't expecting this! What a pleasant surprise! It's not really in their full power but very clean and light. There should be more African a capella music out there!

This was my first time hearing a full album from Ladysmith Black Mambazo. I have heard many songs from them and I have seen them in concert. "Rain, Rain Beautiful Rain” was the only track that seemed familiar to me. The rest was new, but in the familiar Ladysmith Black Mambazo style. "Unomathemba" was my favorite track and a great way to open the album as the deeper voices began filling in behind the lead vocals. Not a lot stood out from this album, but because I know that I enjoyed this listen, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo are a group that I like, I might be back for a second listen in the future.

an incredibly serene album. the harmonies are beautifully done. listening to this album was calming and immersive, even with how simple it was! i thoroughly enjoyed listening to this :) the mouth sounds (e.g. clicking, hissing) were an interesting and lovely addition to the singing. it adds another level to the a capella. i really appreciate this diverse recommendation and would love to hear more like it!

Listen to this album at full volume. This album neeeeeds its full dynamic range. I listened to the first half in class. I had it about half volume so I could still hear the lecture. I didn’t reallly care about what was going on in the album. I was kinda bored and wanted it to end. During passing period I turned it all the way up and BAM it was beautiful. I noticed the difference right away so I restarted the album. It’s so smooth. The harmonies are like butter. I feel like I’m being sung a lullaby. It is a very very serene album.

Just a beautiful, calm acapella. I've got nothing more to say besides that, tbh. I wish I know the best mood listen to this again, perhaps a nice vacation morning or something.

Falleg plata, dásamlegar raddir og harmoníur.

African tribal music pretty low-key background music

It was good until it jumped into some sort of fusión electrónica but then I realized Spotify just jumped to something else. So, it was quite enjoyable

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

15 years prior to Graceland came this. Pretty tiresome

really really cool listen

They are fantastic, this album is transcendental.

This album is hard to determine how good it actually is since I don’t really have anything similar to compare it to. Sounds like Graceland which is a classic. But this isn’t Graceland and it’s not Paul Simon. It sounds good but it’s nothing I’d revisit. 4.4/10

At last, something different! Beautiful. To those who think Paul Simon exploited them, note that they had been together since the 1960s and recording from 1973 - yet no-one knew who they were outside of South Africa, until he brought them to worldwide attention practically overnight. Ask how exploited they feel about that.

Prekrasno. Slušala sam album ujutro u krevetu sa slušalicama i 30 minuta nisam o ničemu razmišljala

Ovo je simpatično. Mogao bih gledati nekakav film ili pak dokumentarac gdje ovo svira u pozadini. Kroz sve pjesme bar jednom mora proći zvuk paljenja skajpa što netko proizvede - desetka za to.

Bilo bi 4 da je lito ide mala s ovog albuma hehe

Lovely

SO relaxing and cool. No clue what they're singing, but that's okay!

Nope

Afrikanske acapella sange. Lyder egentlig smukt, men bliver meget ensformigt, meget hurtigt

Mellow. It's like South African doo-wop. Not for me, but it's fine.

For sure worked with Paul Simon. It's the spine of some of later work and you can hear it's influence over the last 35 years.

Really good introduction to their sound and very relaxing to listen to. Without knowing the lyrics, a whole album almost felt like listening to Gregorian chants or renaissance choral works.

Interesting, though perhaps not my favourite of the bunch

Eens iets anders dan ik gewoon ben. Ik zou hier op bijvoorbeeld 'Festival Dranouter' ongetwijfeld zeer hard van kunnen genieten. Het heeft iets gospelachtig, maar tegelijk wel dromerig. Maar ik ben niet compleet overdonderd

The album listing says 1987, but it came out in 1970. Africa!

Relaxing, joyous, blissful human voices in perfect harmony.

Nothing personal against this album, acapella/choral stuff has just never been my thing. Extreme props to the performers and recording engineers on this LP - the hint of natural reverb lifts the delivery of this album beyond a recording into an almost hypnotic aural vision.

Primer disco a capella que escucho. No me veo escuchando mas.

Never knew this existed. Great music.

Not my jam

Beautiful harmonies!

Probably the most unique thing on this list so far. From the Graceland album. This was really badass but it’s definitely not something I could listen to every day. Fave tracks: “How Long”

Interesting album, never listened to anything like it.

lol

Ótima revelação de música africana.

Harriet and Ken are really into this band. - 1 track in and not really my jam so far. Not bad at all, just not something I'd choose to listen to. I made it 4 tracks in and going to stop - not bad music but there sounds like little to no variety in style between songs. They all seem to be sung at the same pitches and style throughout all the songs so far and it really isn't my kind of thing. Would be fine as background music but even whilst working, having it on in the background was noticeably dull.

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.

I found this album very hard to rate - it veered between strangely beautiful and strangely boring, and while I enjoyed listening I'm not sure how keen I'd be to repeat it. As I feel it could have sat anywhere in the 2-4 range I've gone middle of the road, but this is a 3 I'll definitely be listening to in the future to see if my feelings have changed.

Wow this album came out of nowhere. Not what I expected to hear at all. Not to say I didn't enjoy it. I started listening to it in the evening, and finished it this morning, and I have to say I enjoy it a lot more while looking out over some foggy countryside rather than the evening rat-race vibe.. I'm half expecting the sun to come out over the hills because of this album. While I enjoy it, I very much doubt I'll be putting it on again. It's one of those things I appreciate once, but won't feel the need to listen to again. I'm close to rating it a 4 as it is nice and bite-sized at only half an hour and it is just so very different from what I'm used to, but I'm gonna stick with a 3.

Beautiful

This is the shit I am here for

What if you took the BEST part of the BEST Paul Simon album, and you made THAT into its own album?

Really great. Didn’t realise they’d been going for that long but just a great sound.

Good world music

I admit I didn't hear of this album before. When it started playing, I thought "great, here's an authentic take on Graceland's themes". However, as songs came and song went, I grew tired of the theme; by the end, I couldn't tell one song from the other.

It was cool, but not really my kinda thing

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

Nooope

This is another band I came across quite randomly when searching for something different. I went to browse the foreign section of a record store and picked the one LBM LP they had (it wasn't the one 1001 sent us) since, based on the cover photo, they didn't look like they would be playing the same crap the radio stations were force feeding us. The picture sung a thousand words! Their singing is beautiful and they create lovely melodies without instruments. My personal music culture makes it tough to listen to an entire album of a capella. In the late 90s they put out an album that had Dolly Parton on lead vocals. On that LP they had instruments on the DP song and some other songs which mixed it up nicely.

I only had a chance to listen to this once. Beautiful harmonies and they have achieved great success for an African choral group. I enjoyed listening to them in moderation.

The harmonies are well done and performed but a cappella music just isn’t my jam.

No lo terminé de escuchar pero la música acapella no me entusiasma demasiado. Me gustó lo significativa que es la existencia de esta banda con respecto al apartheid.

Absolutely gorgeous soundscapes created by this choral group. A treat to listen to. The production is spot on and the sound is crisp and clear enough to appreciate the individual voices within the ensemble. Another listen reveals that though the MUSIC LBM make is undeniably beautiful, the SONGS lack individual character thus that I can not say when one ends and another begins, leaving the experience ultimately lacking. Bottom some fine moments and overall some beautiful music but no great or memorable songs. 3.5 🌟

I always like hearing different languages and accents in vocals because it can lend different texture to vocals. That said, I can only take so much a cappella.

You love ladysmith black mabazo. And for good reason. Wonderful choruses building momentum with turns and cannons. Authentic unsacrificing sound with beautiful lyrics. When the sun says goodnight to the mountain.

Something different on the list. A great sound, really calming and relaxing

Un disco muy muy chulo. La verdad en parte de eso siento que se trata el discos que "debes" escuchar, también es el punto de conocer y adentrarte en estilos musicales tradicionales que normalmente se pasan por alto. De todas las cosas con sonido africano que nos ha tocado esta es la más sencilla, auténtica y tradicional, aparte de ser un estilo de canto que me agrada mucho. Me hace pensar que me encantaría que hubiera algun disco por ejemplo de cantos de tuvan mongol, o canto tibetano, un disco de una obra de kabuki, hay muchos estilos musicales que cuadrarían perfecto en el punto de cosas que "debes" escuchar al menos una vez, dudo mucho que llegue a esos puntos la lista pero al menos esta entrada es agradable de ver. Punto interesante (y esperaría que no fuera la única razón por la que hubieran caido aquí o no habrá más cosas de este tipo) es que el grupo cantó con Paul Simon en el disco de Graceland y de ahí fue que se dieron un poco a conocer.

Por un lado, qué bonitos y bien cuidados arreglos vocales. Creo que es el primer disco 100% a capella que nos ha tocado y me parece que es un gran ejemplo de algo que debes oír, aunque sea por abrir horizontes. Por otro lado, creo que todo lo no-occidental que hemos oído es africano, y quizá haya un tanto de sesgo en ese sentido. Eso, obviamente no le quita calificación a este disco.

"But you love Ladysmith Black Mambazo!" Indeed a weird band to love. Fine African music. Bit slow, and made sleepy.

Very pleasant and almost hypnotic sound. I can imagine that when this was first released it was groundbreaking.

It became background music too easily for me but i admire the musicianship

Asså, coolt sound men jag skulle ju aldrig lyssna på det själv

Nice background music

Quite odd but definitely unique...

I don't expect many other entries on the list to sound like this. That's a shame, as the recording captures something unique and captures it well. There's a definite devotional aspect to the songs, though they neither present themselves as a logical series nor explode into true long-form. There's something wrong-way-rubbing about "world" music. Not sure if it's contextual or actually in the aura of the music, but as the body percussion comes in at the end of the LP that feeling sharpens.

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

Love it. The companion piece to Graceland. The real heart and soul of that album on full display here. So pure and recorded with just the right amount of "space" and reverb. Feels very present but also very comfortable. Love the balance and stereo play between the ears on headphones. The unaccompanied human voice is the purest and sometimes most powerful way to experience music. Would love to hear this performed in person so I could really feel the vibrations of those voices.

Unfortunately completely ambivalent, nothing wrong but nothing I'd want to listen to on my own?

not my thing listening to 1 song is interesting, but 10 is boring

Eh

I enjoyed it, didn't realise these were the bank Paul Simon used for his Graceland album

Great harmonies. Very soothing.

Not my favorite but still enjoyable.

an absolute gem, who needs paul simon anyway

I remember Ladysmith Black Mambazo from Paul Simon’s music and read that he produced this album. The harmonies are amazing and so chill, which is the point of this style of music. Wawusho Kubani sounds like the call and response of gospel mixed in with Stomp. How Long reminded me of Barbershop Quartet and Rain, Rain was like 50’s Early rock. Overall, I wish I understood more of the lyrics, but I really appreciated the talent of the singers.

“Oh yeah, those guys from that Paul Simon album. Whatever happened to them…?” These guys are great. Always enjoy hearing them. A capella music is always so refreshing to listen to, and this one I know none of the songs. Nice palate cleanser.

Slick. Did some background reading (like everyone else I think) and discovered these guys were the backup on Simon's Graceland. Cool. You could easily put this music on in the background and have it run all day - not disturbing, occasionally noticing something really special. And I think that's both good and bad in that it kind of all blends together. But if you had to have something that does that, it would be this sound. Beautiful, positive energy.

Really enjoyed the album, even that guy that kept making that clicking noise. Relaxing and beautiful.

A little too much of all the same. I loved them on Graceland - Homeless and Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes are fantastic. But then this entire album is mostly more of the same. The one track that caught my ear as sounding different was "How Long?" which had a bit of doo wop going on which was fun. Nothing wrong with the album, it was enjoyable to listen to...it just lacked variety.

begin ik niet aan

Het is wel mooi, maar ik mis de Afrikaanse roots om hier echt hard op te kunnen gaan geloof ik.

Dit doet me denken aan Coming to America. Maar verder doet het me vrijwel niets. Een nummer geluisterd en toen had ik het wel gehoord

Ik vind Graceland van Paul Simon echt een fantastisch album, dus daarom viel dit ook goed. Al is een heel album van dit soort samenzang wel iets té rustgevend :-)

Eerst was ik razend enthousiast, maar dat zakte een beetje toen ik de plaat voor de tweede keer ging draaien. Toen was ik gematigd enthousiast :)

Alright this is way different than anything on this list so far. The harmonies are crazy but theres no other instrumentation. Can't give it a high score because I won't return to it.

Love me some Lion King

Without reading about it, I could tell this was the group who accompanied Paul Simon on Graceland. Not understanding the language is both a pro and a con. On the pro side, you focus more on the rhythm, tone, and cadence. On the con side, I mean, what’s Unomathemba? It’s nonsense to me. Some tracks have English translation for the title but still - not that useful. Generally, I’m stitching together prior knowledge and outright stereotypical knowledge to get the feel for this.

Stunning harmonies, made the Acapella aspect much more tolerable

Phenomenally consistent harmonies

A bit backgroundy

Very very relaxing, Enya vibes. Not my thing but a good listen

Familiar sounds reminiscent of Paul Simon's Graceland Album - As it should...

Absolutely beautiful singing. Felt like Red in Shawshank Redemption listening to opera in the prison yard: "To this day I have no idea what those two Italian ladies were singing about. Truth is, I don't want to know. Some things are better left unsaid. I'd like to think they were singing about something so beautiful, it can't expressed in words, and it makes your heart ache because of it.” We read about Shaka Zulu, and talked about apartheid and Paul Simon, who produced this. Bought a copy on vinyl!

not my cup of tea

Good for what it is

Not really my thing but I appreciate the style.

I really enjoyed this album. Went and listened to Graceland by Paul Simon afterwards

A but samey

No doubt these folks are talented but this is not my type of music.

Not for me.

I appreciate the craft and the significance of the music, but I couldn't bring myself to listen to the whole album again. I think i'd enjoy a track here or there, but the album is full of songs that sound very similar to my ear.

Beautiful sounds and use of voices

The weird album indeed. Listened to it stoned, had a jungle book-like half-dream experience.

Listening to this while walking through the Bird Sanctuary was like a religious experience.

Really enjoyed this

South African a cappella band, I liked it more than I expected.

Great harmonies, good music for cooking or working

A masterpiece. 5/5 stars.

Deeply moving.

Muito específico isto, não sei se isto não esta aqui por ser música africana ou pela sua qualidade, no geral não posso criticar muito, mas não é algo que queira ouvir. Nota:4/10

First thought: weren't these guys "world music for people who don't like world music"? I sort of avoided them after hearing a couple of commercial crossover tracks, although they were good on Paul Simon's Graceland, which propelled them to stardom. I'm happily surprised by the quality of this. Great acapella harmonising with a small number of male voices. Recording seems fantastically done (and I think I read Paul Simon produced it?). There's a deep echo-ey resonance to the voices, which sail through the tracks, making it all sound easy. Personally, I find the English-language tracks aren't quite as enjoyable. Maybe it's because I can't understand the lyrics on the other tracks, so I'm just getting a pure enjoyment of the voices without literal meaning. Or maybe it's because these guys are more comfortable and practised in their native tongue. But in any case, it's still a solid album which makes me want to check them out more. 4/5. Edit: this also feels like a tokenistic inclusion on the list, given how little traditional/folk/ritual music is given coverage. But it would be stupid to hold this against the album itself.

Vibes. A little repetitive

Beautiful vocal music, a treat for ears. This album not only improved my mood immensely, but also gave a feeling of such pure joy. Happy, full melodies, in combination with a great mix of vocals.

not for me

Such nice vocal music. I listened to it while at work and it was just the right amount of relaxing.

Not my kind of scene

Good background music to work to

Very calm, easy listening. Gets a little repetitive after some time, but I can't fault it too much, because I enjoyed listening all the way through.

Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Golgotha Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Nice relaxing world music. Every song more or less sounded to the same, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I like getting these world music albums on this list.

Tipo um sea shanty africano.

This is really beautiful, but not really the kind of thing I normally listen to.

Never heard of this, not bad at all!

I liked it!! Different than my usual sounds, but :)

One of my favourite films involves Michael Caine having a big bloody battle with these individuals

Its tö cöökl of laiv. Leppoista kuorottelua, mutta vähän tämä levy on yksiulotteinen sisällön puolesta. Kun oli ekaan kappaleen kuullut, niin oli kuullut jo kaiken. Komean ja jylhän kuuloista, ei siinä mitään. Levylle kiitos käynnistä ja kaikkea hyvää jatkoon.

vibez

I liked it.

Jaahas, mustaa gospelia synkimmästä afrikasta. Meininki on kuin Leijonakuninkaassa. Rentouttavaa musaa, mutta eipä tätä tule varmaan uudestaan kuunneltua.

Shaka Zulu was pretty good, not sure if it was because of the mood i was in or what but it was decent background stuff. tammy thought it sounded a bit like african gospel. wither way the gods must be crazy I give it three empty coke bottles

Beautiful and soothing. A much appreciated sojourn.

A priori interesante y a la larga monótono y aburrido

Timeless

Interesting and invigorating capella record from zulu band. For certain moments, but hard to beat on those specific moments....

Música étnica africana. Sin más. Ritmos típicos. Tranquilos, dentro de lo que se supone que es. No es mi estilo (en absoluto), pero se puede escuchar

Great discovery!!!

No coneixia aquest grup i el meu desconeixement de la música africana és absolut. Música sense instruments, només amb veus, i amb un punt espiritual. He començat a escoltar-lo amb interés, però m'ha acabat cansant.

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

Música "soul" a cappella africana.

Way better than I anticipated. Puts you in a meditative frame of mind. Great reverb in the recording. Great intro into worldwide music.

Musically, it's very powerful. However, in my system for rating, I'd likely not listen to this more than once a year.

it was okay but not my thing...at all

Smooth record, and thought I recognized them from Paul Simon's Graceland album! Africa refreshes me :)

what the heck

1000 movies you must watch before you die: lion king

it just tribal sounds

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

vocale africano.. in certi momenti ci sta

Timeless classic

So peaceful and soothing.

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!

gorgeous harmonies

Veo que lo calificaron muy alto, a mí no me enganchó-

La verdad está muy chingón. "A surprise to be sure but a welcome one"

Cool album of beautiful a capella and amazing harmonies.

Enjoyed them more with Paul Simon. Stand alone OK.

Post-colonial coffee shop world music at its best. A lovely peaceful way to start the day, but feels a bit cringey at points.

Definitely an album worth listening to. A unique sound and a joy to listen to. Yes, I just wrote that.

Well it’s pretty cool and all but let’s be real I’m never listening to this again. Can’t wait to see the average rating to see how many people are lying to themselves.

World music is not for me, but the harmonies are nice.

a capella cultural tunes

great

The album was very different from the normal music I listen to it not even close, even so, the lack of instruments wasn’t missed. The start of the album was very strong especially the second track ‘Hello My Baby’ which had a more upbeat backing and vocals. The issue for me was similar tracks in the middle until ‘How Long?’ which was a nice change of space, but after this track, they sounded very similar again. It might be me expecting more as I’m not experienced in Cappella, but the group are talented as shown in the more dynamic track ‘Wawusho Kubani?’ by far the best track on the album, but left me wanting more of the overall album. I might look into some of the newer albums and see if they fulfil a dynamic album that I would be looking for to dive into Cappella.

Melkoista tervanjuontia oli selvitä edes kerran läpi levystä. Tältä saattaisi kuulostaa Talking Heads a capellana. Leijonakuninkaan soundtrackilla voisi toimia.

3.1

Another good album I never would have known

meh....

one song I can accept. A whole album? you're pushing your luck

I know very little about this kind of music, I didn’t dislike it, but didn’t grab me either