Shaka Zulu

I listened to this on a lazy Sunday morning, which is probably the optimum time to hear it - it’s so soothing. And just when it was starting to wear out its welcome, it finished.

Not really for me, but that's okay. Best wishes

I don't really like this genre that much. Nevertheless, it was quite interesting to listen to this album. It didn't really inspire me. Towards the end, it started to get on my nerves a bit. It's not my taste and I won't listen to it again. 3/5

you are capitalizing off my love of acapella groups! very chill--the songs all felt a little same-y but that just might be because I'm not used to the genre. Really gorgeous voices.

Honestly, this is about as good as A Capella can get. Really makes appreciate those with vocal talent.

I kind of enjoyed this, and appreciated taking in something different to the assortment of mid-to-crap rock albums that I've been dealt with over the last week or so. A South African acapella album, the harmonies here are lucent, impassioned and catchy, even if the language barrier gets in the way. The voices layer on top of one another in a compelling way, giving the songs a degree of depth which belies its lack of instrumentation.

I'm not sure how quickly I'll return to this, but I will at some stage.

The kind of album that makes going through this list feel worthwhile. Yes I’ve the band backing Paul Simon on Graceland but I never would’ve thought to listen to a whole album of theirs

for a project that's supposed to be about the heritage of the Zulu people, this particular album of theirs sure does seem to be targeted to white people who want to feel "cultured"

Not my cup of coffee

The harmonies are great, but I found myself wishing there was a little more variation in terms of accompaniment; even some percussion. (Note; listened to 2017 "remake", as could not find original)

These guys can sing their asses off and have some beautiful harmonies. That being said, I don't know that I "enjoy" listening to this album. I don't feel I have the proper context to evaluate it fairly. I basically never listen to acapella choral music and, thus, have no frame of reference.

These guys came to USC when I was there! I had never heard of them so it was a real surprise to find out they were actually famous after the fact. Anyway, I'm not gonna be mad at Zulu acapella (or technically, isicathamiya, which is a little more overlap heavy I think), but I also have no idea what they're singing about (though, probably religious stuff if Jesu means what I think it does) and I don't have time to investigate, so there's a certain non-English ceiling. If it's anything like the English lyrics, maybe that's for the best. Well, I say, that, but,

Highlight: when "hello my baby" and "i love my baby" merge into sounding the same as they're repeated enough (like my childhood favorite "it's eleven men/eleven minutes") :)

The original version has all but disappeared from streaming, there is a 30th anniversary rerecorded version called Shaka Zulu Revisited, which, alas, is an inferior version. This opens up a debate about the sanctity of physical media as a vital cultural safeguard and a commitment to permanence, integrity, and the unassailable right of the artist's original creation to exist unaltered.

I'm no expert on African music; I think I know the basic differences between mbube and isicathamiya, but don't ask me a) to give any definitive thoughts on them or b) how to pronounce them. I *do* know that, in my pretty limited forays outside "Western" genres, African music tends to hit me on a more emotional level than music from other countries/regions. There are moments on this record where the beauty of LBM's voices really resonate with me, and I find it to be a pleasant listen on the whole. That said, I don't foresee it being an album that I return to on any regular basis, and I would be lying if I said that, despite my genuine enjoyment, it has sparked a flame in me to immediately dive deeper into this style of music.

3/5

I’m never mad about some LBM, but I also never feel like I need to hear 45 straight minutes of it, either.

Boy, I sure hope no washed-up singer songwriters exploit this group and somehow also end up on this list! (Foreshadowing!)

(2.5) feeling spiritual

It's background music, not only b/c LBM famously backed Paul Simon on his seminal Graceland, but b/c it's music of the background, to be preciser. That is, the songs comprise a world unto themselves, a world at a distance from our own and yet too full to be intangible or abstract. These a cappella performances overflow w/ a meticulous peace, and tho there are elements of despair and joy, trouble and celebration, the main ingredient is stability, a settledness and serenity equipped w/ a vital outlet. Chanting is repetitious by nature, but no track here wants a necessary variety. My only fuss is that the accessibility of the record is finally a bit soft, so that, over the course of an entire album, the tranquility it offers wanes from robust to kinda wimpy.

This is an impeccable album and the 36min runtime is exactly the right length. I didn’t enjoy this as much as I did Youssou N’Dour, but that’s just my personal taste.

Brilliant, peaceful album. I listened to it in work but I will make a point of giving it another listen in a more relaxed environment.

I'm very happy that such unique music on the list. Didn't really like it, though.