Ilembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu [Heads Up] (CD - 2008)

Ladysmith Black Mambazo: Joseph Shabalala, Msizi Innocent Shabalala, Thulani Shabalala, Sibongiseni Lucas Shabalala, Thamsanqua Shabalala, Albert Mazibuko, Abednego Mazibuko, Russel Mthembu.

Audio Mixer: Martin Walters.

Recording information: Downtown Studios.

Photographer: Robert Hoffman.

Shaka Zulu was the storied warrior king who ruled in South Africa in the early 1800s, ushering in the Zulu empire, and ILEMBE is the sound of South Africa's most famous musical sons paying tribute to his legend. As with all of Ladysmith Black Mambazo's best work, the album finds leader Joseph Shabalala and his crooning comrades delivering complex-yet-earthy a cappella harmonies that carry both ethereal and visceral effects simultaneously. As close to the group's hearts as the album's honoree may be, even casual listeners with little knowledge of Shaka Zulu's life and deeds are bound to be entranced by Ladysmith's vocal command and undeniably engaging, proudly beating musical heart.

One thing about Ladysmith Black Mambazo is that you know exactly what you're getting. Wonderful vocal phrases and answering, and with Ilembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu, it does what it says on the tin, honoring the great leader who really forged the Zulu nation. Group head Joseph Shabalala is still the frontman, and the hushed choral responses to his singing have a kid of awed magic about them. But even at low volume, there's no doubting the passion that pervades it all. The big problem is that the whole album is hushed -- there's no real variety in the arrangements from track to track, and little variation in tempo, which can make it all seem a bit like one endless cut. No doubting the quality, but to really make a lasting impact, it needs something more, like the experimentation they've undertaken in the last few years. It all ends up feeling like a holding action, which is fine, and every group needs them occasionally, but it's not an outstanding work in their canon musically, despite the subject matter and the reverence (quite possibly too reverent) with which they treat it. ~ Chris Nickson minimize