Famous Like Me > Composer > S > Joseph Shabalala
Profile of Joseph Shabalala
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| Name: |
Joseph Shabalala |
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| Date of Birth: |
28th August 1941 |
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| Place of Birth: |
Ladysmith, South Africa |
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| Profession: |
Composer |
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From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia
Bhekizizwe Joseph Siphatimandla Mxhoveni Mshengu Bigboy Shabalala, otherwise known as Joseph Shabalala, is the lead singer and founder of the South African choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
Joseph was born in the town of Ladysmith (eMnambithi district) in the KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa on 28 August 1941. His parents, Jonathan Mluwane Shabalala and Nomandla Elina Shabalala, raised Joseph and his six siblings on a white-owned farm called Tugela. His father died in the late 1940's, and Joseph, being the eldest, had to take care of the family. He left the farm, however, in 1958 to search for work in the nearby town of Durban.
During this time, he became spotted by a well-known group, the Durban Choir, after he delighted audiences with his smooth guitar playing and soprano voice. When he joined the Choir, he attempted to teach them some of his new compositions, namely his first song Nomathemba (which was made into a play in 1995). They refused, and so he left them after only two years.
In 1960, Joseph found an isicathamiya group, The Highlanders, led by Joseph's 'hero' Galiyane Hlatshwayo. Hlatshwayo was the man who encouraged Joseph to use his voice powerfully.
He formed his own group in 1964, Ezimnyama (the Black Ones). When he saw how well his group did the once-weekly isicathamiya competitions, he renamed them Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Mambazo meaning 'axe', referring to how the group 'sliced away' the other choirs by winning almost every time.
After local radio airplay, Joseph was offered a recording contract in 1972 by Gallo Records producer West Nkosi, and he accepted. The group sold over 40,000 copies of their first album and continued to do so through other recordings. In 1975, Joseph became a Christian and the songs in the Mambazo repertoire were shuffled to one side to include Christian, Methodist and Zionist hymns sung in the Zulu language.
1986 brought Paul Simon into South Africa to work with the group. Their popularity spread all over the world and they sold records popular enough to earn platinum disc awards and even a Grammy.
On the night of 10 December 1991, Joseph's brother and fellow member Headman Shabalala was killed by an off-duty white security guard near the town of Ladysmith. The death of Shabalala was thought to be a racial murder. Joseph, helped by his beliefs, had to continue and faith helped him carry on.
Nevertheless, tragedy has returned. In May 2002, Joseph's wife of 30 years, Nellie, was shot and killed by a unknown assailant outside the couple's home in Kloof, KwaZulu-Natal. Joseph was wounded in the hand whilst protecting his wife.
The next album from the group, 'Raise Your Spirit Higher', was expected to have a solemn touch to it. Indeed it did, including a tribute to Nellie by her grandsons Gagamela and Babuyile Shabalala, encouraging Joseph to carry on and that 'S-H-A-B-A-L-A-L-A will live on'.
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