Nomathemba – Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Zibuyinhlzane – Ladysmith Black Mambazo
It looks like ‘Nomathemba’ (no relation to Mama Themba), dates back to Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s 1986 album, ‘Zibuyinhlazane’ which was around the time that the foremost purveyors of isicathamiya singing were also seeing a global rise to fame following their contribution to Paul Simon’s ‘Graceland’.
Anyone not familiar with isicathamiya style before Paul Simon came along (i.e. most of the world, including me) would probably not have given this song a second listen pre-hearing ‘Graceland’, but afterwards, would have been quite comfortable listening to this and possibly still be waiting for Paul Simon’s guitar and western vocals to come in to compliment the beautiful harmonies of the track. The beautiful bass noises contrast wonderfully with Joseph Tshabalala’s delicate almost-falsetto vocals and the track is peppered with ‘rrrrr’s and ‘he-eh-he-eh’s that we all got to know and love on ‘Graceland’ tracks such as ‘Homeless’ and ‘Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes’.
This track and the album was there for those who, having heard ‘Graceland’, couldn’t get enough of the beauty of isicathamiya and were searching for more. Ironically, while the world might have been searching for more, the lyrics tell of Nomathemba, the women in the title of the song, having left. It is a track that shows the strength of Ladysmith’s sound and stands shoulder to shoulder with their stuff on ‘Graceland’.
Where to find it:
Shaka Zulu – Ladysmith Black Mambazo (1995), Gallo, CDGMP 40157 H (original vinyl release in 1987)
Video:
1001 South African Songs You Must Hear Before You Go Deaf 