Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s ‘wise elder’ dies aged 77

Albert Mazibuko, who sang in iconic South African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo for more than five decades, has died aged 77.

The musician’s death on Sunday came after a short illness, the choral group posted on their Facebook page.

Mazibuko joined Ladysmith Black Mambazo in 1969, and the collective went on to win five Grammy awards and feature on Paul Simon’s acclaimed 1986 ‘Graceland’ album.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo paid tribute to Mazibuko on Monday, describing him as “kind to a fault” and a “saint” who acted as a “wise elder” for the group’s younger members.

“He loved travelling the world, spreading the mission and music of Ladysmith Black Mambazo,” the statement says.

“He never tired of talking about the group’s history and its desire to spread ‘peace, love and harmony’ everywhere people had ears to listen.”

Mazibuko grew up in the eastern town of uMnambithi, formally known as Ladysmith, and left school early to work full-time on a farm.

His cousin, Joseph Shabalala, founded Ladysmith Black Mambazo in 1960 and eventually asked Mazibuko to join.

The group fused indigenous Zulu songs and dances with South African isicathamiya, an a cappella tradition frequently accompanied by a soft, shuffling style of dance.

A radio performance in 1970 led to a recording contract, and in 1973 they released Africa’s first gold-selling album, ‘Amabutho’.

The group achieved global recognition after United States (US) star Paul Simon recruited them to sing on the multimillion-selling album ‘Graceland’. Simon was criticised at the time for breaking the cultural boycott of apartheid South Africa.

Culture minister Gayton McKenzie was among those paying tribute to Mazibuko on Monday.

He says in a statement he was “more than a performer; he was the custodian of a uniquely South African sound that travelled across the world and united people through music”.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo sang songs of hope and unity during the dark decades of apartheid, when racial discrimination was legalised.

“Apartheid was very harsh to us,” Mazibuko told the BBC’s ‘Soul Music’ show in 2015.

“I was working at a cotton factory . . . when we came out from work we saw the police, they were lining up,” he recalled.

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