Mambazo win lifts us all
THEY have done it again. And if there was any moment to feel proudly South African and to be African, it was on Sunday night at the 60th annual Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, US and seeing our own Ladysmith Black Mambazo bring home yet another prestigious accolade.
The internationally acclaimed isicathamiya group from KwaZulu-Natal made us proud – once again – winning their fifth golden gramophone. Their win, coming hot on the heels of the new mood in the country after team SA’s impressive showing at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, further lifted the optimism in the country that South Africa is on a path to political, social and economic renewal.
The win also reminded the world that South African music is a force to be reckoned with and that long after his retirement, founder and leader Joseph Shabalala can enjoy his time off the stage knowing the group is in safe hands and that the ethos he instilled in them will live on for a long time to come. Shabalala retired in 2014 after decades of excellence as the leader of this iconic group. The latest award is the group’s first since he retired.
Also coming at a time when the world was mourning the passing of jazz legend Bra Hugh Masekela, an international icon in his own right, Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s latest Grammy award helped lift our spirit.
But while they are revered globally, performing for kings and queens, and gracing world stages and performing with the best, including Paul Simon, the group has also dominated local music awards such as the SA Music Awards, proving their international success story is deeply anchored in their South Africanness. Ladysmith Black Mambazo are a national treasure and have been great ambassadors for our country for more than 57 years. That’s a lifetime for many musicians and bands the world over.
Last year, the group released its 30th anniversary celebration album,
This is the album that won them the World Music Award at the Grammy Awards on Sunday.
But winning has always been in their veins, and they have been nominated for a Grammy every other year since 1988, when they won Best Traditional Folk Recording for Shaka Zulu.
We have no doubt that they will continue on this path of excellence and that they will do us proud.
Congratulations, Ladysmith Black Mambazo. We are very proud of you.