''Ilembe'' is a 2007 album by the

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

isicathamiya Isicathamiya (with the "c" pronounced as a dental click) is a singing style that originated from the South African Zulus. In European understanding, a cappella is also used to describe this form of singing. The word itself does not have a literal ...

group

Ladysmith Black Mambazo Ladysmith Black Mambazo are a South African male choral group singing in the local vocal styles of ''isicathamiya'' and '' mbube''. They became known internationally after singing with Paul Simon on his 1986 album ''Graceland'', and have won m ...

. It was released on 26 February 2007 and did not feature collaborations, and was simply "Ladysmith Black Mambazo at its best", as the Gallo press release for the anticipated release put it.''Ilembe'', press release,

Gallo Record Company Gallo Record Company is the largest (and oldest independent) record label in South Africa. It is based in Johannesburg, South Africa, and is owned by Arena Holdings. The current Gallo Record Company is a hybrid of two South African record label ...

(January 2007). It was re-released in 2008 with the title ''Ilembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu''.

Album's theme

Songs on the album are primarily moral, but there are some religious compositions for which the group are well known. The title track, "Kuyafundw' Osizini" ("Learning From The Obstacles"), spoke of the obstacles faced by people in their lives. As

Joseph Shabalala Joseph Shabalala (28 August 1940 – 11 February 2020), was a South African singer and musician who was the founder and musical director of the choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Early life and career Shabalala was born in the town of ...

(the group's founder, lead singer, composer and director) put it,Rock Paper Scissor

Ladysmith Black Mambazo, ''Ilembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu'' translations, October 2007. "Don’t worry about the many things that are in your way. If you confront those obstacles and learn from them, you will teach others how to conquer the same kinds of obstacles. There are people who complain about everything, and they want to avoid doing things that are too hard, like school or a job. Those people should stay where they are and learn from their experiences."Rock Paper Scissor

Ladysmith Black Mambazo Pays Tribute To Cultural Icon, October 2007. The album was released in South Africa on the group's label Gallo (#CDGMP 40976), and was issued in the United Kingdom on the Warner Jazz label on 16 April 2007. The album was released in the United States on 22 January 2008, under the title '' Ilembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu''.

Awards

''Ilembe'' has been a very successful album for Ladysmith Black Mambazo: in South Africa, the recording won a

South African Music Award The South African Music Awards (often simply the SAMAs) are the Recording Industry of South Africa's music industry awards, established in 1995. The ceremony is held annually, usually in late April or May, with the judging process starting in N ...

(SAMA) on 3 May 2008 in the category ''Best Traditional A Capella Album''; and in the United States, it won a

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

on 8 February 2009 in the category ''Best Traditional World Music Album'' in the

2009 Grammy Awards The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, on February 8, 2009, honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2007, through September 30, 2008. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the b ...

Track listing

# "Ommu Beno Mmu" ("Somebody And Somebody") # "Kuyafundw' Osizini" ("Learning From The Obstacles") # "Vela Nsizwa" ("Show Yourself, Young Man") # "Let's Do It" # "Umon' Usuk' Esweni" ("Jealous Eyes") # "Sizobalanda" ("We Are Here") # "This Is The Way We Do" # "Iphel' Emasini" ("A Cockroach in the Milk" - Zulu proverb) # "Asekhon' Amatshitshi" ("The Virgins Are Still There") # "Hlala Nami" ("Stay With Me") # "Prince of Peace" # "Iphel' Emasini (Nature Effects)"

Ilembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu

''Ilembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu'' was released on 22 January 2008; the track list is identical to the 2007 release. It was released under a different label,

Heads Up International Heads Up International is a jazz record label that was formed in Cleveland, Ohio. It was bought by the Concord Music Group in 2005. History The label got its name from a jazz group that Dave Love formed while attending North Texas State Universi ...

References

{{Authority control 2007 albums Ladysmith Black Mambazo albums