Country : Zimbabwe Label : Arc Genres and styles : Gospel / South African Traditional Year : 2020

Washabalal’ Umhlaba (Earth Song)

· by Ralph Boncy

Black Umfolosi is a great acapella vocal group whose roots are deep in several provinces of Zimbabwe. Its name, “the black river”, is borrowed from a neighbouring country, South Africa, with which it shares this river, now partially dried up. The other inescapable point in common with Nelson Mandela’s country is, of course, the sublime vocal harmonies that most of us didn’t know existed before Paul Simon met Joseph Shabalala in London and recorded “Homeless”, in Zulu, on the album Graceland in 1985.

…And then there were six. Black Umfolosi are still working at full speed since forming in 1982 (almost 40 years old!), and here’s their 15th album, not counting collaborations and the numerous solo albums of its three founding members, Thomeki Dube, Sotsha Moyo, and Austine Chiane (the very deep baritone that such a band couldn’t do without). Three other members were added to the final line-up, the strongest and most balanced Umfolozi has known in its long history. They are a gifted young dancer and two solo singers from the new generation. These new recruits are now involved in solo singing and the creation of choreographies that are also the trademark of other adjacent groups such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Irresistible music certainly, but perhaps a little macho in the attitude if we consider their discographies, where women really didn’t seem to have their place.

Here they sing “Coming Your Way, Our Lord” – true African gospel – and pay tribute to the Bantu people of the South with traditional instruments on “Ihoso Beat”. The title track implores humans to protect our good old Earth, but the fact that it was released on July 24, one month to the day after the assassination of Georges Floyd, gives these six voice musicians the opportunity to echo the Black Lives Matter movement everywhere on the continent where they were born.

Soothing, bewitching and engaging.

Latest 360 Content

Vancouver Contemporary Orchestra; Vancouver Chamber Choir – Christopher Tyler Nickel : Mass; Te Deum

Vancouver Contemporary Orchestra; Vancouver Chamber Choir – Christopher Tyler Nickel : Mass; Te Deum

Hypercube – The Force for Good

Hypercube – The Force for Good

PUP – Who Will Look After the Dogs?

PUP – Who Will Look After the Dogs?

Duo AYA – Cycles

Duo AYA – Cycles

Papillon Social Club – Dur de la feuille

Papillon Social Club – Dur de la feuille

Coalescent Quartet – The Wall Between Us

Coalescent Quartet – The Wall Between Us

Samuel Bonnet Trio – Live in Harmony

Samuel Bonnet Trio – Live in Harmony

Marc-André Hamelin; Quatuor Takacs – Dvořák & Price : Piano Quintets

Marc-André Hamelin; Quatuor Takacs – Dvořák & Price : Piano Quintets

Oktopus – Brahms, Balkans & Bagels

Oktopus – Brahms, Balkans & Bagels

OCM: Bernstein and his “Side stories” in the spotlight

OCM: Bernstein and his “Side stories” in the spotlight

Abracadabra! Klô Pelgag is Back

Abracadabra! Klô Pelgag is Back

Constantinople – Nordic Lights in Persian Sky

Constantinople – Nordic Lights in Persian Sky

Salin – Rammana

Salin – Rammana

Real Farmer – RF II

Real Farmer – RF II

Syncopation & Synergy: Karneef’s jazz fusion meshes with Rapallo’s corporate yacht pop

Syncopation & Synergy: Karneef’s jazz fusion meshes with Rapallo’s corporate yacht pop

Classica 2025 Presented by Marc Boucher: The Art of The Piano with Serhiy Salov and Jean-Philippe Sylvestre

Classica 2025 Presented by Marc Boucher: The Art of The Piano with Serhiy Salov and Jean-Philippe Sylvestre

Classica 2025 Presented by Marc Boucher: Women’s Cellos

Classica 2025 Presented by Marc Boucher: Women’s Cellos

Classica 2025 presented by Marc Boucher: The Köln Concert String Quartet

Classica 2025 presented by Marc Boucher: The Köln Concert String Quartet

Spółdzielnia Muzyczna Contemporary Ensemble / Zygmunt Krauze – Konteksty

Spółdzielnia Muzyczna Contemporary Ensemble / Zygmunt Krauze – Konteksty

dope.gng – Fiend II

dope.gng – Fiend II

Bells Larsen – Blurring Time

Bells Larsen – Blurring Time

Viagra Boys – viagr aboys

Viagra Boys – viagr aboys

Le Vivier: many skills, few surprises

Le Vivier: many skills, few surprises

SAT’s Substrat Sound Series: IRLʼs soundscapes

SAT’s Substrat Sound Series: IRLʼs soundscapes

Subscribe to our newsletter