In 1974, when Ladysmith Black Mambazo made its first radio appearances in South Africa, Nelson Mandela was a decade into his life sentence. By 1993, Mandela had been released and the inspirational vocal group was performing at Mandela's Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. Nowadays, Mandela is appearing on The Rebel Billionaire while Ladysmith just won a Best Traditional World Music Album Grammy. And though apartheid seems deceptively distant, with two new albums -- Raise Your Spirit Higher and No Boundaries -- Joseph Shabhala's call and his group's response are as relevant as ever.
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