You don't need to know the language to be inspired

By Jim Abbott | Sentinel Pop Music Critic
Posted January 21, 2005

**** Ladysmith Black Mambazo and the Strings of the English Chamber Orchestra, No Boundaries (Heads Up); **** The Soweto Gospel Choir, Voices from Heaven (Shanachie): If you ascribe to the notion that lyrics are overrated, these two soaring vocal albums offer strong supporting evidence.

There's a language barrier to hurdle on many of these songs, but as the title of Ladysmith Black Mambazo's album suggests, that's not much of a boundary for music with such joyous spirit.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo, of course, defined its identity on Paul Simon's 1986 classic, Graceland, which the group refers to on No Boundaries (in stores Tuesday) with a reprise of Simon's "Homeless." The new version pumps up the melody with strings and horns, making the song grander than the plaintive original. The accompaniment ranges from lushly muscular in the introduction to delicate pizzicato strings later on.

The opening "Jabulani" translates to "rejoice," which is an appropriate description of the album's mood. The material ranges from African spirituals to familiar hymns and classical works.

"Amazing Grace" is positively beautiful, with its French horn introduction and harp accompaniment beneath Joseph's Shabalala's soft, joyful tenor. Those soft voices at first seem a little out of place on Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," but it doesn't take long for the gentle vibrato of his voice to contrast sweetly with the operatic tenor of Robert Brooks, chairman of South Africa's International Classical Music Festival.

Mambazo's singing style is known as isicathamiya, a Zulu word that means "to tiptoe." On No Boundaries, the group's steps into the classical realm are both lovely and light.

While No Boundaries sounds quite formal at times, there's no shortage of uninhibited energy on the Soweto Gospel Choir's Voices from Heaven.

The opening "Jikela Emaweni" begins with an exuberant solo voice that is soon joined by maracas, tribal drums, bird whistles and shouted exhortations. The words are in another language, but the message rings clearly.

The group displays an impressively diverse sound, covering everything from traditional a cappella spirituals to infectiously rhythmic "township jive" numbers and a gospelly adaptation of Jimmy Cliff's "Many Rivers to Cross."

The Choir also tackles "Amazing Grace," with more raw gospel power than Mambazo, as one of several English-language songs. The best of these is "Paradise Road," a contemporary-sounding gospel ode that rises above a lovely wall of voices. It's a sound that's inspiring in any language.

Reviewing key: ***** excellent; **** good; *** average; ** poor; * awful.