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| Inkanyezi Nezazi |  | | Genre: | Isicathamiya | | Catalogue Number: | 342282 | | Availability: | Yes | | Price: | £11.99 |
| Format: | CD | | Release Date: | 0000-00-00 |
| Review: | Few artists can claim to put their success down to God, Paul Simon and baked beans--but for Joseph Shabalala, all three have helped. It was, of course, Heinz's inspired use of "Inkanyesi Nezazi" that gave the South African troupe a platinum album in Britain. Before then, Shabalala's vocal troupe had been thriving on the international circuit following their appearance on Simon's Graceland. For Shabalala though, there has been no major change since 1972--the year he says God provided him with the idea for Ladysmith Black Mambazo. This would be a fanciful, of course, were it not for the fact that much of the music on this collection does indeed sound like a telegram from above. A common assumption upon hearing Ladysmith's 10-strong harmonic uplift is that this is indigenous South African music. But it's the fusing of Christian gospel and Mbaqanga that floods Ladysmith's songs with their otherworldly sense. Quite what the global acclaim will do for Shabalala is hard to say--certainly 1997's Heavenly, a cluster of tacky pop covers, boded badly--as did a frankly horrible duet of "Ain't No Sunshine" alongside Des'ree. But for now, Inkanyesi Nezazi is a fine place for newcomers to work backwards from |
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