Mambazo founder’s 15 minutes ending

The acclaimed South African choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo has made many trips to America since becoming popular on these shores back in the 1980s. But its latest tour, which stops at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center’s Laura Turner Concert Hall Monday night, has special significance.

It’s among the last appearances the group will make with its founder, lead singer, musical director and principal composer Joseph Shabalala, whose tenure with the group dates back to 1960 (the initial version of the group was called Ezimnyama Ngenkani (The Black Ones) and was mostly relatives and cousins of Shabalala. It became Ladysmith Black Mambazo in 1964.

“We’re very aware of the significance of these shows and there’s certainly kind of both an awareness and a little sadness,” longtime member and cousin Albert Mazibuko said. “But we’re also doing a lot of new material for these shows, plus the favorites and the hymns that we’ve always done, so it’s become kind of a celebratory thing and a chance for people who’ve followed us for many years to get kind of an overview of everything that we’ve done, and also hear new tunes and changes.”

They are the masters of the haunting, evocative sounds known as isicathamiya and mbue, both sweeping, vocally majestic genres that feature emphatic leads and catchy answering harmonies, collective passages and complimentary statements.

From its early days Ladysmith Black Mambazo was so formidable that it found itself shut out of local competitions due to its abilities. But it started recording locally in 1967, and by the mid-‘70s was gaining national recognition despite the limits imposed by the rigid practices of racial segregation known as apartheid.

However, it was allowed to travel overseas by the government during the mid ’70s and into the early ‘80s. The members even became international stars in 1985, following collaborations with Paul Simon that were first heard on the Graceland CD.

Besides selling some 16 million copies, Graceland led to the group making three more CDs that Simon produced, Shaka Zulu, Journey of Dreams and Two Worlds, One Heart. It also led to numerous recording projects that have teamed them with American performers in multiple genres.

Over the years Ladysmith Black Mambazo sessions have matched the group with The Winans, Julia Fordham, George Clinton, Michael Jackson, Dolly Parton, Stevie Wonder, The Corrs, Ben Harper, Josh Groban and B*Witched. It has appeared before Pope John Paul II, the British royal family and accompanied Nelson Mandela to the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo in 1993, then sang at his presidential inauguration in 1994.

The group also issued a host of celebrated and top-selling CDs, more than 50 foreign and domestic recordings that include Grammy winners Shaka Zulu in 1988 and Raise Your Spirit Higher in 2005. Interestingly, its newest CD a return to familiar ground as Llembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu (Heads Up) is another tribute to a respected figure in South African history.

“Shaka Zulu is someone that many of us grew up greatly admiring for his bravery and courage,” Mazibuko said. “He was a hero, a man far ahead of his time and we wanted to honor his memory in song.”

The set includes several striking new songs, among them “Ommu Beno Mmu (Somebody and Somebody)" and “Sizobalanda (We Are Here).” While it was released in South Africa and Europe last year, it just debuted in America Jan. 22.

The topical nature of the CD reflects the group’s long involvement in social causes. It is now a mobile academy, with tours including information segments where it informs audiences about South African history and culture. The group has recorded anti-racism tunes, songs warning about the dangers of drinking and driving, and many pieces with spiritual or religious themes. Long Walk To Freedom, its 2006 CD, celebrated not only 45 years together, but also sparked a series of outstanding American concerts, most notably a show that included guest appearances from Pete Seeger, Natalie Merchant, the Mahotella Queens and Vusi Mahlasela.

While some have expressed concerns that Shabalala’s retirement was the beginning of the end for Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Mazibuko says nothing could be further from the truth.

“No, we have absolutely no plans to stop performing and in fact we’ve already been auditioning potential new members for the group. We will keep on touring and recording under Thamsanqa (current second-in-command Thamsanqa Shabalala, Joseph’s son and successor as bandleader and main vocalist). Ladysmith Black Mambazo will be singing well into the future, for many more years to come.”

What: Ladysmith Black Mambazo

When: 7 p.m. Monday

Where: Laura Turner Concert Hall, Schermerhorn Symphony Center, One Symphony Place

Cost: $25-$65

Info: 687-6500