The Warner Brothers Collection

1	Homeless / Paul Simon 3:49
2	Unomathemba (A Girl's Name) 3:47
3	Hello My Baby 3:10
4	King of Kings 4:08
5	How Long? 3:05
6	Rain, Rain, Beautiful Rain 2:18
7	Wawusho Kubani? (Who Were You Taling to?) 5:31
8	Hamba Dompasi (No More Passbook) 3:35
9	Ungayoni into Enhile (Destroy Not This Beauty) 4:10
10	Ungakhohlwa (Don't Forget) 3:22
11	Ibhubesi (The Lion Song) 3:35
12	Township Jive 4:39
13	Love Your Neighbor 4:01
14	Leaning on the Everlasting Arm 4:52
15	Hayi Ngalesiskhathl (Not Right Now) 4:10
16	Cothoza Mfana (Tip Toes Guy) 1:17
17	Amazing Grace 3:07

Barnes & Noble

This alluring collection offers the cream of Ladysmith Black Mambazo's "discovery" period, when the world outside South Africa was just getting its first taste of the group's heavenly harmonies on Paul Simon's 1986 tour de force Graceland. Director Joseph Shabalala founded the ten-member Ladysmith in 1974, tying choral gospel music and traditional Zulu singing together into a soaring new brand of South African a cappella, sometimes referred to as mbube. Counting on the deep pulse of seven basses and only a couple of altos, it's a stark yet magnificent sound. "Hello My Baby" is flirtation of the sweetest kind, while "Unomathemba" is the call-and-response cry of an orphan sung in pure Zulu. "Wawusho Kubani?" is a whimsical admonishment to would-be gossips, culminating in a mesmerizing, foot-stomping chant. There are breaks in the format, too: a full electric band jumps in on the funky hi-life of "Township Jive," and gospel stars the Winans join on the sweet, soft synth breaks of "Leaning on the Everlasting Arm." Nothing reveals Ladysmith's spiritual core quite as plainly, however, as their long, dulcet duet with Paul Simon on "Amazing Grace." Find out or rediscover what makes this group South Africa's supreme musical export on The Warner Bros. Collection. Abraham Velez

All Music Guide

The Warner Brothers Collection covers the first three albums Ladysmith Black Mambazo recorded for the American major label in the wake of their mass exposure on Paul Simon's Graceland. There's nothing from the 1994 children's album Gift of the Tortoise, nor (naturally) is there anything from the group's smaller-scale recordings, which in the U.S. are covered by albums and compilations on Shanachie. But, given the title, you wouldn't expect that in the first place. Instead, this is a valuable look at some of Ladysmith's most accessible (if not quite rootsiest) material, with full English translations of all the lyrics. The Warner Brothers Collection also includes two tracks with Paul Simon ("Homeless" and "Amazing Grace") and a collaboration with gospel's Winans ("Leaning on the Everlasting Arm"). All in all, it's an effective distillation for the casual fan. Steve Huey