Ladysmith Black Mambazo Visits Kean University on February 9

Fresh on the heels of winning their fifth Grammy Award, Ladysmith Black Mambazo will perform at Kean Stage's Enlow Recital Hall on Friday, February 9.

The all male a cappella group from South Africa recently won the Grammy for Best World Music Album of 2017 for their recording Shaka Zulu Revisited.

"This is the highest honor we can receive from the music profession," the group members said in a statement. "It is humbling to know that this fifth Grammy Award for Ladysmith Black Mambazo is the most any world music group has ever received."

The group was formed in the 1960s by Joseph Shabalala, then a young farm boy turned factory worker. Joseph took the name Ladysmith from his hometown and the word Black being a reference to the oxen, the strongest of all farm animals. Mambazo is the Zulu word for chopping axe, a symbol of the group's vocal strength.

"Each time we step into a recording studio we work very hard to create something true to our culture, true to our country of South Africa and to true to our message of peace and love," says the group. "The great Nelson Mandela told us that it was our mission to use our ability to be heard all over the world as a means to spread this message of peace. We will never cease in this and we thank the Grammy Awards for being part of our mission."

In 1986, Paul Simon incorporated the group's rich harmonies into his famous Graceland album - a landmark recording that was considered seminal in introducing world music to mainstream audiences. Ladysmith Black Mambazo first won a Grammy in 1988 and followed that up with wins in 2004, 2009, 2013 and now 2017. Since Shabalala's retirement in 2014, the group is now led by his four sons, Thulani, Sibongiseni, Thamsanqa and Msizi. They are currently on a world tour, and are excited about their stop at Kean Stage.

"We'd like to thank our fans for their continued support in this musical journey of ours," says the band. "Of course we thank the people of South Africa, who have long supported us as artistic leaders for their nation."

Ladysmith Black Mambazo will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, February 9 at Enlow Recital Hall, 215 North Ave., Hillside, on Kean University's east campus. Tickets are $45 to $75 and are available by calling the box office at 908-737-7469 or visiting www.keanstage.com.

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