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Ladysmith Black Mambazo at the 2005 Santa Fe Jazz & International Music Festival

Joseph Shabalala grew up on a farm in South Africa near the town of Ladysmith. In the 1950s, apartheid was very much in force. Working conditions were inhumane, and much of the work was in mines. In Durban, Joseph heard Saturday night choruses of miners singing in Zulu, in the Isicathamiya style. Shabalala was a choral singer himself. One night in his dreams, Shabalala heard a new harmony, and awakened saying, "This is the sound that I want, and I can teach it to my guys."

Ladysmith Black Mambazo is Shabalala's dream made true -- "Ladysmith" for his hometown, "Black" because the strongest animal on the farm is the black ox, and "Mambazo," the Zulu word for "axe." An axe chops down the competition. Singing in South Africa is a competitive sport. The singers kid Joseph about being an old man, as you'll hear, but his beautiful voice leads the group in his compositions.

Paul Simon introduced Ladysmith to the world on Graceland (one of Dee Dee Bridgewater's favorite albums). A highlight of this JazzSet comes from Graceland -- "Homeless," a song for 1986 -- and 2005, as well: "Father Almighty, please help us. We sleep on cliffs. Strong winds destroyed our homes. We are homeless."

Ladysmith Black Mambazo traveled to Oslo with Nelson Mandela when he received the Nobel Peace Prize and sang at his presidential inauguration. At the 2005 Santa Fe Jazz and International Music Festival, where this JazzSet was recorded, the governor of New Mexico and the festival organizers gave Ladysmith a silver platter, in recognition and deep appreciation for their contributions to music and humanity.

Happy Thanksgiving! Peace, love and harmony.