The family of Joseph Shabalala, the brainchild behind the creation and success of Ladysmith Black Mambazo has confirmed the 79-year-old’s death.
Family confirms Joseph Shabalala death
It is believed that Joseph Shabalala lost his long-term battle with health complications on Tuesday morning at Pretoria’s Eugene Marais Hospital.
His wife, Thokozile Shabalala, was by his side when his last breath escaped him. The family has asked for privacy at this time and vowed to issue a statement later in the day.
Speaking to Sowetan Live, manager of the choral group, Xolani Majozi, confirmed that members of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, who are currently on a tour circuit in the United States (US), have been informed of Shabalala’s passing.
“Yes, it’s true. Mr Shabalala passed on this morning. The group (Ladysmith Black Mambazo) is on tour in the US, but they have been informed and are devastated because the group is family,” he stated.
Shabalala was forced to retire from the group in 2014 following bouts of health complications.
His son, Sibongiseni, has since taken over as the leader of Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
Majozi described the passing of Shabalala as a great loss to the world’s music community.
“Bab’ Shabalala was a legend of this lifetime, and it will take time to raise a person of his calibre. His is the greatest loss to the entertainment industry and to the world. He raised the standard of the isicathamiya and took to international stages where it excelled. His was a global being,” he said
Ladysmith Black Mambazo achievements
As the group’s founder and musical director, Shabalala moulded Ladysmith Black Mambazo into a world-renowned and formidable brand, speaking to existence the essence of the choral group.
After all ‘Black Mambazo’ in the group’s name means ‘black axe’. The name was adopted by Shabalala in the 1960s when he would compete in weekly isicathamiya contests. If you went up against them, you were challenging the might of the black axe.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo has gone on to win nine Grammy Awards with 16 nominations, multiple South African Music Awards (SAMA) and released more than 50 albums at Gallo Music, many of which have retained gold and platinum status.
“A legend of this lifetime” – Tributes pour in for Shabalala
Tributes have poured in from South Africans who have been rocked by the icon’s passing. These are some of the most prominent:
