This Paul Simon-produced 1987 release followed on the heels of South African choir Ladysmith Black Mambazo's breakout international debut on Simon’s own Graceland. Sung in both Zulu and English, Shaka Zulu is a quietly majestic masterpiece of the all-male, a cappella isicathamiya choral tradition. Though recorded in the depths of the apartheid era, Joseph Shablala’s plaintive, hopeful lead tenor shines through on “Unomathemba”, while gospel-inflected tracks like “King of Kings” and “How Long?” remain defiant, soulful and profoundly humane.
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