Albert Mazibuko almost bubbles over with enthusiasm when he talks about his band’s latest tour. Even though the Grammy Award-winning Ladysmith Black Mambazo has played its songs around the world for years and collaborated with a host of household-name legends including Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder and Dolly Parton, tours are far from routine for these veterans.
| Onstage |
| Ladysmith Black Mambazo |
| When: 8 p.m. Thursday |
| Where: Lisner Auditorium, 730 21st St. NW |
| Info: $25 to $55; ticketmaster.com; 202-397-SEAT |
“We always tell ourselves we are going to have a good time,” said Mazibuko of how he can sound so happy during a grueling tour. “On these tours, we know that people give us love and that keeps us strong all the time. We are never tired.”
That seems especially true now that the group is touring behind its latest album, “Songs From a Zulu Farm.” The words and melodies of the songs are South African, but the songs themselves speak of universal happiness and perseverance.
Indeed, many of the songs on the album are ones that the members recall from their South African childhoods. Some songs warn of dangers, others rejoice in nature’s beauty, but all carry positive messages.
“It was an idea that we talked about with our manager, and he was encouraging us,” Mazibuko said of the album. “Everybody [in our group] came up with a song they remembered from their childhood and we put them all together. Recording them was joyous.”
Although the songs on the new album will certainly be on the set list for this week’s concert, fans of the band can expect performances of old favorites, too, such as “Long Walk to Freedom” and the group’s stirring rendition of “Amazing Grace.” That mix will not only satisfy older fans but give those that have recently discovered the group some perspective.
“We know that it is a need for us to share the story of us with the audience,” he said. “Our music is about enjoying ourselves, not just about singing. That’s how we grew up.”
That translates into how to survive tough times, which Mazibuko believes will have special importance to audiences during this economically low period.
“Our music is always about inspiration, being happy and making people strong [enough to handle] their problems,” he said. “When we sing our music … we want people to take that and in and find solutions to their problems. We hope if they see people say, ‘I can do this,’ then they can do it, too. In the beginning, we started singing when times were very hard. That music made us stronger. You are stronger than you think you are.”
