THE FREEDOM OF MUSIC

Taking the stage were 8 men. Humble in their stride, they each walked confidently to a microphone that was, somehow, set to the right height. Clad in brightly coloured shirts, they waited until the applause had nearly extinguished. That was when they hit us. A wall of sound so powerful and pure, that my whole body trembled.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo is a multi-Grammy award winning group from South Africa. Their vision: peace, love and harmony. They deliver this through inspiring lyrics paired with gripping harmonies. With just weeks to go before heading off to Masoyi, South Africa, for a volunteer trip, our team gathered on this beautiful Friday evening. LBM is only in Canada for a weekend and, lucky for us, their first stop is in Calgary.

Sitting in an a capella performance, I'm not sure what is the right posture to take. Is it appropriate to tap my feet? Should I clap along? Or should I just sit still and listen? Not too much time passes and then I know. The singer on the end is one of the younger members. His slightly jolly build is complemented by his great smile. He begins shuffling, while the others are going through their rehearsed hand movements. The singer on the other end, also young, starts incorporating the slightest of a hip-hop action into this routine. Pretty soon, each singer, young or old, begins putting a little "somethin'-somethin'" of their own. Often, their dance routine resembles marching, followed by a dramatic front kick, often reaching above their heads, snapping down as quickly as it shot up. The booty shake, the Buddha belly rub - THEY LOOK LIKE THEY'RE HAVING FUN!

They have sung with Sarah McLachlan, Melissa Etheridge, Josh Groban and Paul Simon. Their style of music is Isicathamiya, a unique a capella singing style that originated from the South African Zulus. Its chief focus is achieving a harmonious blend between the voices, while incorporating tightly choreographed dance moves that keep the singers on their toes. These choirs are traditionally all male.

After the intermission, one of the singers reminded us that South Africa was hosting the 2010 World Cup and led us in a sing-along. I suspect that most of the audience didn't know what the words meant, but we sang along with much enthusiasm nevertheless, most likely butchering the original intent of the song. But that's the great thing about this music and how LBM delivered it. Their expressions and movements conveyed love ballads, freedom proclamations and plights of the homeless, without the requirement for words. Before we knew it, they were singing their encore song, a moving rendition of Amazing Grace. And so, this special evening ended by reminding us that not only did the journey of people who are separated by a 25-hour plane ride away come together. But we part ways knowing that it is grace that erases the walls created by geography, language and preference.

A night to remember...









A recent performance with Sarah McLachlan on The Tonight Show...