Ladysmith Black Mambazo is the choral group founded in 1960 by Joseph Shabalala in Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, singing in the Zulu vocal traditions of isicathamiya and mbube: soft-stepping, close-harmony music built for a cappella voices. International recognition arrives through Paul Simon's 1986 album Graceland, where the group co-writes and sings 'Homeless'. The catalogue that follows collects five Grammy Awards from 17 nominations: Shaka Zulu (1988), Raise Your Spirit Higher (2004), Ilembe (2009), Live: Singing for Peace Around the World (2013) and Shaka Zulu Revisited (2018). Shabalala retires in 2014 and dies in February 2020 at 78; his sons now lead the group. The work continues: Soothe My Soul: Songs From Our South African Church wins Best African Indigenous Faith Album at the 2024 South African Music Awards, and as of 2026 the group is recording Beyonder, a collaborative album with the UK folk band Stornoway.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo sits in the artist layer of Viranova's knowledge graph — the timeline below tracks every story, interview, and event connected to it.
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The Joy’s “Precious” is more than a new single. It is a test of how far South African vocal harmony can travel into global pop without losing the ancestral weight that makes it powerful.
Past
Part of Ladysmith Black Mambazo's August 2026 UK run, listed on the group's own shows page and on sale through the venue. Seated evening concert.
Past
Doors 19:00, artists on stage 20:00. The venue currently marks this show as sold out. Confirmed on the group's official shows page and the venue listing.
Past
Closing night of the group's August 2026 UK run. Doors 19:30, performance 20:30. Age 14+, under-16s must be accompanied.
