''Umthombo Wamanzi'' is an album by the

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 ...

isicathamiya Isicathamiya (, where the ''c'' represents a tenuis dental click) is a singing style that originated from the Zulu people, a South African ethnic group. In European understanding, a cappella is also used to describe this form of singing. The wo ...

group

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 ...

. The album (#BL 353) was recorded in May 1982, and released the next month. Whilst the group's previous output had been, for the most part, entirely composed by lead singer and founder Joseph Shabalala, ''Umthombo Wamanzi'' contained primarily traditional Zulu hymns re-arranged by Shabalala, such as "Uzube Nami Baba" and "Ungikhumbule". The members who sang in the Umthombo Wamanzi album were Abednego Mazibuko Jockey Shabalala Albert Mazibuko Jabulani Dubazana Headman Shabalala Fikile Groonwell Khumalo Russell Mthembu Joseph Shabalala. The album was rereleased by

Shanachie Records Shanachie Records is an American, New Jersey–based record label, founded in 1975 by Richard Nevins and Dan Collins. The label is named for the Gaelic word '' seanchaí'' (anglicised as shanachie), an Irish storyteller. It was previously distr ...

in 1988.

Critical reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

wrote that "Shabalala and his bandmates provide a stunning look at some relatively simple lyrical works that are ornamented through their harmonic work to become a cappella masterpieces." The ''

Richmond Times-Dispatch The ''Richmond Times-Dispatch'' (''RTD'' or ''TD'' for short) is the primary daily newspaper in Richmond, Virginia, and the primary newspaper of record for the state of Virginia. Circulation The ''Times-Dispatch'' has the second-highest circul ...

'' wrote that "a lot of these tunes have the sturdy Calvinist determination to have come out of some Protestant missionary hymnbook, but what Shabalala and his voices do with their phrases and rhythms gives earnest zeal an ecstatic tingle."

Track listing

# "Uzube Nami Baba" father in your name # "Ungikhumbule" (You Remember Me) # "Emafini" (In The Clouds) # "Yimani" be of good courage # "Igazi Lemihlatshelo" (The Blood Of Sacrifices) # "Uthando" (Love) # "Siligugu Isiphambano" (The Cross Is Precious) # "Baba Wethu" (Our Father) # "Siyawadinga Amandla" (We Need Strength, Lord) # "Inhliziyo Zethu" (Our Hearts) # "Halleluya" # "Abantu Bayahluleka" (The People Will Conquer)

References

{{authority control 1982 albums Ladysmith Black Mambazo albums