South African male choral group offers beautiful acapella harmonies full of history
GUELPH, ON March 11, 2025 – Five-time Grammy Award winners Ladysmith Black Mambazo know how to command an audience with their delicate, soulful songs that tell stories of the past and present. The group will grace River Run Centre’s Main Stage on Sunday, March 30 at 7 p.m.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo has been around since 1960, warming souls around the globe including Nelson Mandela’s, who designated the group “South Africa’s cultural ambassadors to the world.” Representing the Zulu people, Ladysmith Black Mambazo brings their cultural heritage to the masses through traditional isicathamiya and mbube styles of music.
These talented vocalists share a message of peace, love, and harmony. They sing about nature, animals, love, freedom, children, and hope. Watching and hearing them harmonize in their native tongue, mixed with English, is inspiring, moving, and comforting.
The group has released over 50 albums in 50 years, many of which have reached Gold or Platinum sales. They have been nominated for 19 Grammys, five of which they won. In 2018, they made history by receiving two Grammy nominations for two separate albums, a first in their genre of World Music. That year, they won Best World Music Album for Shaka Zulu Revisited, which was their fifth Grammy win — breaking yet another record for World Music.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo has collaborated with a long list of renowned artists — Sarah McLachlan, Melissa Etheridge, Emmylou Harris, Josh Groban, Dolly Parton, Michael Jackson, and David Guetta, just to name a few. Most notably, they have collaborated with Paul Simon, first gaining international attention after appearing on his 1987 groundbreaking album, Graceland.
Sponsored by Series Sponsors Sleeman Breweries and Spring Mill Distillery, this show is part of the Sleeman-Spring Mill Music Series, which features exciting Canadian and international music icons. This event is part of River Run’s 2024/25 LOTS ON Season, sponsored by Richardson Wealth, who generously invests in our community.
Tickets to Ladysmith Black Mambazo are $69 for adults, $67 for patrons over 60, and $39 for those under 30 years. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more, or as part of River Run’s Subscribe & Save package. For more information or to purchase, please call 519-763-3000, visit Box Office at 35 Woolwich Street in Guelph, or go to https://riverrun.ca/whats-on/ladysmith-black-mambazo25/.
For Information
Kasia Rusiniak | Program Manager, Development and Marketing
River Run Centre | City of Guelph
519-837-5662 extension 2589
[email protected]