The Bottom Line
This CD, from seminal African choir Ladysmith Black Mambazo, features a number of surprisingly tasteful duets with American and Canadian, as well as African, superstars. A typical Black Mambazo mix of love songs, Christian songs and songs in Zulu, the album is beautifully sequenced and provides an absorbing listening experience from start to finish.
Pros
- Tasteful collaborations with many folk, country and rock stars
- "Thula Thula" - Joseph Shabalala solo!
Cons
- What!? No Paul Simon?
Description
- Features tasteful duets with superstars like Emmylou Harris, Sarah McLachlan, Melissa Etheridge
- A nice combination of love songs, Christian songs and Zulu-language songs.
- Some great Black Mambazo-only songs featured as well.
Guide Review - Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Long Walk To Freedom
Ladysmith Black Mambazo has recorded with many international stars, most notably Paul Simon on his 1986 record Graceland. Long Walk To Freedom, though, puts the American music stars on Black Mambazo's turf, pulling the stars right into the choir instead of featuring them exclusively as soloists.Melissa Etheridge does nicely singing Simon's part on "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes", from Graceland. Sarah McLachlan and Natalie Merchant both blend their voices gently on their contributions: "Homeless" and "Rain Rain Beautiful Rain", respectively.
A major highlight of the record comes when Country-Folk legend Emmylou Harris joins the group for medley of hymns: Amazing Grace and Nearer My God To Thee. Harris's cutting soprano is unmistakable, and not quite as blendable as the contraltos of Merchant and McLachlan. However, instead of sticking out, her voice weaves around and through the rich choir vocals and the resulting sound is spine-tingling.
January 24,2006
