Fun Freetime: Ladysmith Black Mambazo Tour

Ladysmith Black Mambazo, South Africa’s preeminent singing group, received GRAMMY® Award nominations for their two 2017 albums: Songs of PEACE & LOVE for Kids & Parents Around the World in the "Best Children's Album 2017" category and Shaka Zulu Revisited in the "Best World Music Album 2017" category. Starting on January 17, 2018 at the Washington Center for Performing Arts (Olympia, WA) and continuing through to April 9, 2018 at Dolly Parton's park Dollywood (Pigeon Forge, TN), Ladysmith Black Mambazo will perform songs from their GRAMMY® Award nominated albums on their North American tour. Concert details are at mambazo.com.  It is with the deepest gratitude that the members of Ladysmith Black Mambazo accept these nominations, which mark their 18th & 19th GRAMMY® Award nominations during the past 30 years. Ladysmith Black Mambazo has won the GRAMMY® Award four times: in 1988, 2004, 2009 and 2013. The group was most recently nominated for a GRAMMY® Award in 2016, for the album Walking in the Footsteps of Our Fathers. Songs of PEACE & LOVE for Kids & Parents Around the World  This is a collection of songs with a message for parents, their children, and of course everyone else to share and enjoy during these trying times. Ladysmith Black Mambazo member Albert Mazibuko says, "with this children's album, we want to share our songs of peace and love with the little ones. We want parents to have a collection of songs with a positive message to listen to with their kids. We know first hand how hard it is to raise children in a world of conflict, in a world where kids need positive role models and words of encouragement. We hope our songs can be an important part of the lessons of peace and love that all parents want to fill their children with." Shaka Zulu Revisited A 30-year celebration of the group's first internationally released studio album, Shaka Zulu, which won the group their first GRAMMY® Award. In 2014, Ladysmith Black Mambazo's founder Joseph Shabalala retired, handing his four sons the role of joint leaders. With the passing of his torch, Joseph's sons wanted to honor their father and other members of the original group, who have retired or passed away. By re-recording the songs from their original album, they present these new versions for both longtime fans as well as people who have only recently become acquainted with the group's music. Joseph's son ThulaniShabalala says, "Shaka Zulu Revisited encompasses so much history for us. By re-recording the original album and having the Recording Academy deem Shaka Zulu Revisitedone of the five 'Best World Music Albums of 2017,' this becomes an amazing moment for everyone involved with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, both past and present."

Ladysmith Black Mambazo U.S. 2018 Tour Dates January 17 (Wed) -- Washington Center for Performing Arts -- Olympia, WA 19 (Fri) -- Hering Auditorium -- Fairbanks, AK 20 (Sat) -- Alaska Center for the Performing Arts -- Anchorage, AK 21 (Sun) -- Neptune Theatre -- Seattle, WA 22 (Mon) -- Aladdin Theatre -- Portland, OR 24 (Wed) -- John G. Shedd Institute -- Eugene, OR 25 (Thu) -- John Van Duzer Theatre -- Arcata, CA 26 (Fri) -- The Green Music Center, Sonoma State University -- Rohnert Park, CA  27 (Sat) and 28 (Sun) -- Freight & Salvage Coffee House -- Berkeley, CA  30 (Tue) -- The Center For The Arts -- Grass Valley, CA 31 (Wed) -- Rio Theatre -- Santa Cruz, CA   February  1 (Thu) -- Belly Up Tavern -- Solana Beach, CA 2 (Fri) -- Scottsdale Center For The Performing Arts -- Scottsdale, AZ 3 (Sat) -- Sammy Davis Festival Plaza -- Las Vegas, NV 5 (Mon) and 2/6 (Tue) -- The Barns of Wolf Trap -- Vienna, VA 8 (Thu) -- State Theatre -- Ithaca, NY 9 (Fri) -- Enlow Recital Hall, Kean University -- Hillside, NJ 10 (Sat) -- Jorgensen Center For The Performing Arts -- Storrs, CT 11 (Sun) -- Sanders Theatre -- Cambridge, MA 14 (Wed) -- Swasey Chapel, Denison University -- Granville, OH 16 (Fri) -- Memorial Auditorium, Ohio University -- Athens, OH 17 (Sat) -- Old Town School Of Music -- Chicago, IL 22 (Thu) and 2/23 (Fri) -- Ordway Center For The Performing Arts -- St.  Paul, MN 24 (Sat) -- Overture Center For The Arts -- Madison, WI 25 (Sun) -- Pabst Theatre -- Milwaukee, WI 27 (Tue) -- The Ark -- Ann Arbor, MI 28 (Wed) -- Music Box -- Cleveland, OH March 1 (Thu) -- Memorial Hall -- Cincinnati, OH 2 (Fri) -- Carolina Theatre -- Greensboro, NC 3 (Sat) -- Rialto Center For The Arts, Georgia State University -- Atlanta, GA 4 (Sun) -- City Winery -- Nashville, TN 6 (Tue) -- Sellersville Theatre -- Sellersville, PA 8 (Thu) -- Symphony Space -- New York, NY 9 (Fri) -- The Colonial Theatre -- Pittsfield, MA 10 (Sat) -- Merrill Auditorium -- Portland, ME 11 (Sun) -- Zeiterion Performing Arts Center -- New Bedford, MA 13 (Tue) -- Rams Head On Stage -- Annapolis, MD 16 (through April 9) -- Dollywood -- Pigeon Forge, TN

More about Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Their Music Ladysmith Black Mambazo was founded in the early 1960s by Joseph Shabalala. In 1986, the American singer/songwriter Paul Simon famously went to South Africa and recorded the group's rich harmonies for his iconic album, Graceland -- a landmark recording that is considered seminal in introducing world music to mainstream audiences. Since then, Ladysmith Black Mambazo has recorded with a wide variety of artists including Stevie Wonder, Sarah McLachlan, DollyParton, Josh Groban, David Guetta, Emmylou Harris and many more. In addition to the group's winter tour of the USA, Ladysmith Black Mambazo will also tour in 2018 to the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and return to the USA once again.  Songs of PEACE & LOVE for Kids & Parents Around the World and Shaka Zulu Revisted are both available on iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby, and many other music retailers and streaming services. Follow the Ladysmith Black Mambazo onFacebook and on Twitter at @THEREALMAMBAZO​.