When you hear the words Ladysmith
Black Mambazo, it’s often difficult to
not associate this with greatness.
And it’s understandable. Ladysmith Black Mambazo is
one of the few South African acts to
achieve success in the international
arena, with the group having won five
Grammys.
Few of us, however, know where
this began for the collective from
KwaZulu-Natal.
To remedy this and
commemorate the group’s 60 years, Mshengu The Musical will tell the
story of Black Mambazo and one of its founding members,
Professor Joseph Shabalala.
The group’s manager
Xolani Majozi explained why
the collective saw fit to mark this
milestone through a musical.
“We felt the story of Professor
Joseph Shabalala is a South African
story.
"A unique story and one that
is a good story to tell because of his
contribution to the entertainment
industry, not only in the country but
internationally as well,” Majozi said.
As the group celebrates 60 years
in music, Majozi added they believed
this would be the perfect way to mark
the occasion.
The process of creating the
production had been ongoing since
talks began two years ago.
The theatre production is written
by Sandile Ngidi and directed by
Desmond Dube, with research and
creative support provided by members
of the group.
The group worked closely with
Ngidi to provide him with the
information to help him tell the story.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo performing 'Homeless' at the launch of Mshengu the Musical. Video: Masego Panyane
“This is one of the reasons why the group will have such a hands-on approach because we want to create an experience that will allow the audience to feel like they’re exposed to the real Black Mambazo. So it will have original compositions for the production and also make use of the songs that people know and love from the existing Black Mambazo catalogue,” he said.
On why it’s named Mshengu the
Musical, Majozi said: “Mshengu is the
Shabalala clan name. In the industry,
Shabalala is known as uMshengu so
the naming of it makes reference to
that.”
The production is still in its
infancy, with auditions for the cast set to take place on July 17 and 18.
The
production will then make its first stop at
the Soweto Theatre in September for a
short run, and then head off to
the Joburg Theatre and other theatres
across the country.
*The show will run from
September 13-29 at the Soweto
Theatre, with early tickets selling
between R80 and R250. Visit the theatre's website for more details.