Ladysmith Black Mambazo New Two-Disc Collection Features Paul Simon Dolly Parton and more

LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO

JOINS HANDS WITH DOZENS OF FRIENDS

ON NEW TWO-DISC COLLECTION

Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Friends set for release on 1/10/2012

The 132 Minute, Thirty Track Ultimate Collection Includes Collaborations With

Paul Simon, Emmylou Harris, Josh Groban, Taj Mahal, Natalie Merchant,

Sarah McLachlan, Dolly Parton, Lou Rawls And Many More

Since their earliest days in the 1960s, Ladysmith Black Mambazo has shared the studio and stage with scores of artists from around the world, representing just about every possible musical genre. The South African a cappella gospel ensemble's appearance on Paul Simon's landmark Graceland album is probably the most widely-recognized of the group's cross-cultural collaborations, but Simon's 1986 Grammy-winning recording is merely the tip of a much larger iceberg. Over the years, the group has demonstrated its melodic, harmonic and rhythmic versatility in recordings with an array of artists representing folk, rock, pop, soul, country, classical, hip-hop and world music. In each case, they have taken the work of a great artist and made it even better.

The group assembled a two-disc set of recordings that capture Ladysmith Black Mambazo reaching across the cultural divide and joining hands with musicians from around the globe. Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Friends - set for release on January 10, 2012 (as part of the Listen 2 Africa Series / Razor & Tie) contains 30 tracks featuring the world renowned South African group in collaboration with some of the most esteemed and influential recording artists, choirs and orchestras of the past several decades: Paul Simon, Lucky Dube, Emmylou Harris, Hugh Masekela, Natalie Merchant, The English Chamber Orchestra, Sarah McLachlan, Phoebe Snow, Taj Mahal and many more.

"For the past half-century, we have used our music to promote goodwill, cultural understanding and spiritual awakening throughout the world," says Joseph Shabalala, founder of the group. "The fact that we've been able to perform and record with some of the most prominent musical voices representing so many different musical styles, so many different countries, so many different cultures, is proof of the unifying power of music. We're very fortunate to have made so many good friends along the way, and we're happy to have so many of these recordings with those friends gathered in a single collection."

Disc 1 of Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Friends opens with Mambazo backing Dolly Parton in a simmering but impassioned rendition of Bob Dylan's "Knocking on Heaven's Door." The track is followed immediately by "Weeping," a heart-rending ballad featuring Josh Groban and Vusi Mahlesala. Further into the sequence are the African sounding "Homeless" and the more pop-flavored "Diamonds on the Soles of their Shoes," both recorded with Paul Simon for Graceland.

Other highlights on the first disc include the stirring medley of "Amazing Grace/Nearer My God to Thee," recorded with Emmylou Harris; the Sam Cooke classic "Chain Gang," featuring the late velvet-voiced soul singer Lou Rawls; and the rousing "Bread of Heaven (Wales Forever)" with Michael Ball, the Lianelli Male Voice Choir and the Wales Squad Choir.

Disc 2 opens with a reprise of two songs from the first disc: "Homeless," this time with Sara McLachlen, and "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes," featuring Melissa Etheridge and Joe McBride recorded originally on the group's Long Walk To Freedom album.

Other second-half highlights include a part-gospel, part-pop reading of the Curtis Mayfield spiritual, "People Get Ready," with emotionally charged lead vocals by Phoebe Snow; and the engaging "One Blood," featuring Mbongeni Ngema

Blues and world music titan Taj Mahal joins the fray by laying down gritty vocals and deft guitar accents atop the hypnotic chant of "Mbube," while The Golden Gospel Singers join Mambazo in the soaring Staple Singers classic, "I'll Take You There."

In the home stretch, the voices of the SABC Choir merge seamlessly with Mambazo in the infectious "Angimboni Ofana Naye," and the set closes with the "Mamizola," where the group is joined by its female counterpart, the Women of Mambazo, a parallel vocal group founded in the 1970s by Joseph Shabalala's late wife, Nellie.

"The many tracks on Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Friends were recorded at many different times throughout our career, in many different places," says Shabalala. "The thread that ties them all together is the mutual respect and understanding among the musicians on each recording, and the desire to use music as a tool to spread that same respect and understanding to our audiences and around the world. This collection captures the beauty that emerges when Ladysmith Black Mambazo gets together with friends.

DISC ONE

Knocking On Heaven's Door - with Dolly Parton

Weeping - with Josh Groban and Vusi Mahlasela

Homeless - with Paul Simon

Ain't No Sunshine - with Des'ree

Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes - with Paul Simon

Shosholoza - with Lucky Dube, Hugh Masekela and an all-star cast

World In Union - with PJ Powers

Passage To Promise - with Andreas Vollenweider

Amazing Grace/Nearer My God To Thee - with Emmy Lou Harris

Chain Gang - with Lou Rawls

Rain Rain Beautiful Rain - with Natalie Merchant

Jabulani "Rejoice" - with The English Chamber Orchestra

Swing Low Sweet Chariot - with China Black

Bread Of Heaven "Wales Forever" - with Michael Ball, The Linaelli Male Voice Choir

Dlondlobala Njalo - with Soul Drummers (Mix)

DISC TWO

Homeless - with Sarah McLachlan

Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes - with Melisa Ethridge and Joe McBride

Hello My Baby - with Zap Mama

People Get Ready - with Phoebe Snow

Abezizwe (Uniting Nations Together) - with D'Influence (REMIX)

Paradise Road - with Jannie Moolman

One Blood - with Mbongeni Ngema

O Happy Day - with Betty Griffin

River Of Dreams - with Bill Chapin

Mbube - with Taj Mahal

I'll Take You There with - The Golden Gospel Singers

Inkanyezi Nezazi (Spiral Staircase Remix)

Sohlabele Hosana - with Nana Coyote Motijoane

Angimboni Ofana Naye - with The SABC Choir

Mamizolo with -   The Women Of Mambazo

About Listen 2 Africa Series

Listen 2 Entertainment Group founder Dave Love through his commitment to young musicians and industry representatives in the Republic of South Africa, founded the Heads Up Africa series, a critically acclaimed collection that spotlighted some of southern Africa's finest vocalists and instrumentalists. The series was launched to mark the anniversary of the end of apartheid. Artists such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Miriam Makeba, Oliver Mtukudzi, Hugh Masekela and other top talent from this musically and culturally rich part of the world contributed to its success. Having worked for close to two decades with musicians from the African continent and with the formation of Listen 2 Entertainment Group it was a natural progression for Love to continue his cross cultural collaborations with the Listen 2 Africa Series.