Although they've been performing together for over 30 years and have made more than 40 records, Ladysmith Black Mambazo have never made a live album until this performance. Before a sold-out crowd at the Royal Albert Hall in London, this show recording finds the group (and particularly leader Joseph Shabalala) at the peak of their powers. Running through a program consisting of eleven Shabalala compositions that will be familiar to fans, the group sings on themes of love ("Hello My Baby," "Ngamthola"), spirituality ("King of Kings," "Ngothandaza NJalo (I Will Keep on Praying)"), the weather ("Rain Rain Beautiful Rain") and even Christmas ("Inkanyezi Nezazi (Star and the Wiseman)"). There's the requisite declaration of the group's musical superiority over competitors ("Vulani Amasango") and the even more requisite rendition of "Homeless," a song that Shabalala co-wrote with Paul Simon and that Ladysmith Black Mambazo performed with him on the Graceland album. Highly recommended.

Estimated despatch 5-10 days after ordering.