Ladysmith Black Mambazo

At the Highline the other night. So good.

Real roots music - voices clear, open, released, natural, exploring sounds and stretching possibilities. Finding and using all manner of sounds a voice can make. Reaching back to ancient African music through jazz through doo wop through bebop through hip hop to today and back again. Thoroughly playing with, in and around any given note until every thing they can get out of it in a single song has been squeezed and spun and swirled. Zulu dance moves that bring to mind nothing so much as Miracles (as in Smokey Robinson and the...) and Temptations.

Afrobeat forever.