Mdletshe Albert Mazibuko is a member of

Ladysmith Black Mambazo Ladysmith Black Mambazo are a South African male choral group singing in the local vocal styles of ''isicathamiya'' and ''mbube (genre), mbube''. They became known internationally after singing with American Paul Simon on his 1986 album ''Grace ...

, a

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

n choral group founded in 1960 by his cousin

Joseph Joseph is a common male name, derived from the Hebrew (). "Joseph" is used, along with " Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the modern-day Nordic count ...

. Albert was born in Ladysmith, South Africa, and was the second child of six children of three boys and three girls; the others being (the late)Nelisiwe Mazibuko">Nelisiwe Mazibuko, Kholiwe Mazibuko, and his two brothers Mazibuko, Milton and

Abednego Mazibuko 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 American Paul Simon on his 1986 album ''Graceland.'' They ...

,. He grew up on a farm. Although his father Mashumi Mazibuko believed in the importance of education it was necessary for Albert to leave school early and he worked full-time on the farm between the ages of eight and fifteen. He worked as a manual labourer in a number of jobs including working in an asbestos-making factory prior to joining Mambazo. Albert joined Mambazo in 1969 as a tenor voice, with his brother Milton as an alto voice. Albert is the only original member left in the group and has seen many changes; whereas the early line-ups were formed of a few Shabalalas and two Mazibukos, the group largely included members unrelated to the Sbabalala’s His older brother Milton died of natural causes in 1980 after the Intokozo album {{Citation needed, date=January 2011 His youngest brother Abednego had joined in the year 1974), Albert remained in the line-up and has been a full-time member of the group since 1973. When Albert was nine years old he created his own isichathamiya choir and the name of the group was the Zulu Motos “SS Choir” created in 1957 in Ladysmith , his hometown. He met his wife Lillian Dlomo Mazibuko in 1971 and got married in 1976, they also had 4 children together names being Phumzile Gladness Dlomo(1970), Thobekile Goodness Mazibuko(1972), Nhlanhla Mazibuko(1982) and their last kid Khulekani Mazibuko(1987).

References

{{Reflist {{Ladysmith Black Mambazo {{authority control {{DEFAULTSORT:Mazibuko, Albert 1946 births Ladysmith Black Mambazo members 20th-century South African male singers Living people 21st-century South African male singers People from Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal