Vocal and Choral Traditions of South Africa While South Africa’s regional and ethnic differences result in an exhilarating diversity of sounds, one unifying element among the nation’s music is a powerful focus on the voice. In South Africa, vocal and choral music arises from many different origins, including sacred music, work settings, and the anti-Apartheid protest movement of the 20th century. In the 1920s, a cappella vocal styles became identified with an emerging Zulu working class—rural migrant men who left their families behind to work in mines and factories. After a six-day work week, the men developed a social life on Sundays that involved vocal and dance competitions between the different hostels where they were living. The first of these vocal styles, mbube (“the lion”), featured a high-voiced lead against a four-part harmony. It was named after the first African recording to sell 100,000 copies: Solomon Linda’s Original Evening Birds’ 1939 song “Mbube,” which later formed the foundations of the American hits “Wimoweh” by The Weavers in 1951 and “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by The Tokens in 1961. A later style of Zulu men’s a cappella singing is isicathamiya—a word derived from the Zulu verb cathama, which means “walking softly” or “tread carefully.” The leading proponent of this style is Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a group formed in the early 1960s by Joseph Shabalala that went on to win numerous singing competitions in South Africa before rising to international prominence in the mid-1980s after appearing on Paul Simon’s legendary Graceland album. The group takes its name from Shabalala’s hometown (Ladysmith is three hours east of Johannesburg), with black being a reference to oxen and mambazo being the Zulu word for “chopping axe”—a symbol of the group’s ability to chop down any singing rival that might challenge them. In the UBUNTU festival, Ladysmith Black Mambazo performs with special guests in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage on Saturday, October 18, and appears a second time in a Carnegie Hall Family Concert designed for ages 5–12 in Zankel Hall on Sunday, October 19. Festivals MUSIC AND ARTS OF SOUTH AFRICA Luis Leal Ladysmith Black Mambazo (over)
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Vocal and Choral Traditions of South AfricaWhile South Africa’s regional and ethnic di� erences result in an exhilarating diversity of sounds, one unifying element among the nation’s music is a powerful focus on the voice. In South Africa, vocal and choral music arises from many di� erent origins, including sacred music, work settings, and the anti-Apartheid protest movement of the 20th century.
In the 1920s, a cappella vocal styles became identifi ed with an emerging Zulu working class—rural migrant men who left their families behind to work in mines and factories. After a six-day work week, the men developed a social life on Sundays that involved vocal and dance competitions between the di� erent hostels where they were living. The fi rst of these vocal styles, mbube (“the lion”), featured a high-voiced lead against a four-part harmony. It was named after the fi rst African recording to sell 100,000 copies: Solomon Linda’s Original Evening Birds’ 1939 song “Mbube,” which later formed the foundations of the American hits “Wimoweh” by The Weavers in 1951 and “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by The Tokens in 1961.
A later style of Zulu men’s a cappella singing is isicathamiya—a word derived from the Zulu verb cathama, which means “walking softly” or “tread carefully.” The leading proponent of this style is Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a group formed in the early 1960s by Joseph Shabalala that went on to win numerous singing competitions in South Africa before rising to international prominence in the mid-1980s after appearing on Paul Simon’s legendary Graceland album. The group takes its name from Shabalala’s hometown (Ladysmith is three hours east of Johannesburg), with black being a reference to oxen and mambazo being the Zulu word for “chopping axe”—a symbol of the group’s ability to chop down any singing rival that might challenge them. In the UBUNTU festival, Ladysmith Black Mambazo performs with special guests in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage on Saturday, October 18, and appears a second time in a Carnegie Hall Family Concert designed for ages 5–12 in Zankel Hall on Sunday, October 19.
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Luis Leal
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
(over)
Another choral tradition—not as well known in the United States—is the Cape Malay singing of the Cape region of South Africa. This up-tempo, energetic style combines the harmony and language of Dutch and Afrikaans folk songs with colorful infl ections and ornaments from vocal traditions as far afi eld as Malaysia, Arabia, and East Africa. This blending of styles resulted from Dutch colonists who brought slaves from the Indian Ocean basin to work in the Cape region. Malay choirs are all male and predominantly Muslim, unlike the Zulu a cappella groups, and they perform publicly many times a year, most notably each January at Tweede Nuwe Jaar celebrations and in competitions. As part of the UBUNTU festival, New York audiences have a rare opportunity to hear a Cape Malay choir—the Young Stars: Traditional Cape Malay Singers, a 15-voice ensemble led by Moeniel Jacobs on Saturday, October 25 in Zankel Hall, part of a double-bill concert with the David Kramer Band, whose leader is a tireless champion of Cape musical traditions.
In addition to traditional singing styles, South Africa has started to produce a steady stream of Western classical singers, with young performers in every major conservatory and opera training program around the world. Two of these young talents, sopranos Pretty Yende and Elza van den Heever, made their Metropolitan Opera debuts in 2013 within a month of each other—Ms. Yende in Le comte Ory and Ms. van den Heever in Maria Stuarda. They make their New York recital debuts during the UBUNTU festival on Monday, October 13 and Friday, October 24, respectively, in Weill Recital Hall.
Monday, October 13 at 7:30 PMWeill Recital Hall
Pretty Yende, SopranoNew York Recital Debut
Kamal Khan, PianoThis concert is made possible, in part, by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Saturday, October 18 at 8 PMStern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
Ladysmith Black Mambazo and FriendsVOICES OF SOUTH AFRICA
Sunday, October 19 at 1 PMZankel Hall
Carnegie Hall Family ConcertLadysmith Black Mambazo Carnegie Hall Family Concerts are made possible, in part, by endowment gifts from The Irene Diamond Fund, Mr. and Mrs. Lester S. Morse Jr., and the Henry and Lucy Moses Fund.Thanks to New York City Department of Homeless Services for supporting young fathers and their families at this concert.
Friday, October 24 at 7:30 PMWeill Recital Hall
Elza van den Heever, SopranoNew York Recital Debut
Vlad Iftinca, Piano
S aturday, October 25 at 9 PMZankel Hall
David Kramer BandYoung Stars: Traditional Cape Malay SingersMoeniel Jacobs, Music Director
