Ladysmith Black Mambazo is a South African male a cappella group rooted in the isicathamiya and mbube vocal traditions, founded in 1960 by Joseph Shabalala in Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal. Their 1973 debut album Amabutho was the first release by Black South African artists to achieve gold status. Global fame followed their collaboration with Paul Simon on Graceland (1986), and the group has since won five Grammy Awards - more than any other world music act. With over seventy albums and performances for Nelson Mandela and royal audiences worldwide, they are widely regarded as South Africa's foremost cultural ambassadors.
Long-time member Albert Mazibuko, who joined the group in 1969 and remained active until his retirement in 2025, passed away on Easter Sunday 2026.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo released the new album One Voice One World, a collaboration with jazz musicians Nduduzo Makhathini and Mbuso Khoza.
The first single from the new album, You Make Me Happy, reached the top of the radio charts in South Africa.
The group is scheduled for concerts in the United Kingdom (Bexhill-on-Sea and Manchester) and in the Netherlands (Arnhem, December 2026).
The group performed a total of 34 concerts worldwide in 2025, including performances in the US and at European festivals such as the Shrewsbury Folk Festival.
Legendary South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, five-time Grammy winners, performs their message of peace and harmony through song and dance.
South African a cappella legends Ladysmith Black Mambazo bring their distinctive vocal harmonies to Arnhem.