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Shooting to fame as the vocal group on Paul Simon's classic album Graceland, Ladysmith Black Mambazo went on to become legends of South African music and Nelson Mandela's favourite act. Raised on a farm in rural KwaZulu-Natal, Joseph Shabalala was inspired by the traditional Zulu singing style of Isicathamiya and the Christian music he heard in church and formed the group in 1960, renaming them in 1964 after a series of his dreams predicted great success. They became local stars on Radio Zulu before making their first recordings in 1974 and teaming up with Paul Simon in 1985 when he first travelled to South Africa. Graceland (1986) went on to become acclaimed as one of the greatest albums of all time, selling 16 million copies, resulting in a deal with Warner Bros for the release of Grammy Award-winning Shaka Zulu (1987). The group went on to become cultural ambassadors for South Africa, scoring notable success with the albums Journey Of Dreams (1988) and Two Worlds (1990) and performing for The Queen, the Pope and at the inauguration of President Mandela in 1994. They reached Number 2 in the UK singles charts with Inkanyezi Nezazi after being featured on a popular advert for Heinz Baked Beans, and celebrated their 45th anniversary by collaborating with a host of artists including Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal and Sarah McLachlan on the album Long Walk To Freedom (2006).
Artist biography compiled by BDS/West 10. All rights reserved
