Raise Your Spirit Higher: Wenyukela CD

This is a hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD players.

Perhaps no other singing group embodies the rich South African heritage of mbube and Iscathamiya singing more than Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Traditionally, these musical styles are structured around a call and response between a vocal soloist and an ensemble of backing singers. Such is the case with RAISE YOUR SPIRIT HIGHER, a beautiful, deeply sacred album that speaks volumes about a people's ability to overcome great odds.

Lyrically, these songs seek to redefine and reclaim African tribal identity. At the same time, this music underscores the collective experience of all persons and all races. Centering on love and compassion, tunes such as "Music Knows No Boundaries" and "Black Is Beautiful" pay powerful tribute to the underprivileged and the disenfranchised. Other selections on this album reflect this group's profound spiritual calling. For example, "Uqinisil' Ubada," ("Lord Is the Light and Truth") and "Wenyukela" ("Raise Your Spirit Higher") emphasize the faith-based repertoire of this ensemble. On all of these pieces, lush vocal harmonies are set against a stark solo voice. This creates a series of compelling ebbs and flows, and dramatic musical transformations.

This is the U.S. release of the German title Raise Your Spirit Higher: Wenyukela that appeared in Germany in 2003. The album comes in both standard and SAS-CD formats. As for the music found here, this is just a going-through-the-motions set for Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the legendary South African supergroup who use the township sound of Isicathamiya as their base. While most of their recordings are spiritual in nature, this set offers some more secular themes -- including a tune reminding people to buckle their seat belts while driving! Musically, the territory is the same as it ever was, with the only real differential being the voluminous use of English here. [This version is reproduced in SACD format.] ~ Thom Jurek

This is a hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD CD players.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo includes: Joseph Shabalala (vocals).

Audio Mixer: Martin Walters.

Recording information: Playzone Studios.

Photographer: Robert Hoffman.