Decked out in dark blue and black garments, Ladysmith Black Mambazo dazzled the Greencastle community in Kresge Auditorium on Sunday with their quick hand movements and high leg kicks, while their rich harmonies resounded throughout the Green Center.
It is the harmonies that have separated the South African vocalist group from the rest of the music world. However, achieving their sound is more complex than it appears.
âItâs called lock and ring,â said Craig Pare, professor of music and director of the University band. âThey lock into that one note and create a ring of sound, a beautiful harmony, thatâs really in tune.â
Pare thought the groupâs ability to combine their individual talents was even more impressive.
âThey do [lock and ring] throughout all of their music, whether theyâre all singing in unison, or whether theyâre singing chords together,â Pare said. âItâs like one body making all these sounds, and thatâs whatâs so fascinating about them.â
The group performed a number of songs from their newest album, âWalking in the Footsteps of Our Fathers,â which was nominated for âBest World Music Albumâ at this yearâs Grammy Awards.
ââWalking in the Footsteps of Our Fathersâ is a celebration of the groupâs past, present, and future,â said vocalist Sibongiseni Shabalala on Sunday during the performance. âThe members of the group say, âWe want to honor the many people from the pastâŚfor paving the way and leaving their footsteps for [us] to follow.ââ
The group formed out of Ladysmith, South Africa in 1964 by Joseph Shabalala, who originally put forth the desire to âkeep South Africa alive in peopleâs hearts.â
Ladysmithâs three-part name signifies multiple things: âLadysmithâ to honor their hometown, âBlackâ to represent the black oxen, the strongest farm animal, and âMambazoâ, signifying âchopping axeâ in Zulu, the most widely-spoken language in South Africa.
The latter part of the groupâs name was used as incentive to âchop downâ any competition that stood in their way, a promise the group followed through on from the start.
After winning countless contests within their community, Ladysmith was banned from competing at the end of the 1960s and the group members were only allowed to perform as guest artists.
Over 50 years later, theyâve received 17 Grammy nominations, collaborated with American vocalist Paul Simon and are performing around the world with no signs of slowing down. Many of the current Ladysmith performers are sons of former members of the group who performed with Simon in the 1980s.
âI didnât know anything about Ladysmith until Paul Simon put them on âGracelandâ,â Pare said. âWhen that came out, it was a very different sound, and I had not known that group before. So Iâve kind of followed them⌠Theyâve always been on my radar as an a capella group like that.â
While many DePauw students were introduced to the South African group on Sunday, Ladysmith Black Mambazo already had a fanbase of its own heading into Greencastle.
âIt just was so uplifting,â said senior Monica Valadez, who appreciated their collaborations with Paul Simon. âThey were just really into it, and⌠I feel that they had a really good message.â
Valadez was one of many to stayed after the concert to meet the performers in person. âI had been to Durban, so I was like, âhere was the part that I miss so muchââ, said Valadez, who had spent her fall semester in South Africa. âThey reminded me so much of the guys [I had met] in South Africa.â