The Enchanted ‘Journey’ of Ladysmith Black Mambazo

It’s appropriate that Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s next album is titled “Journey of Dreams.” It’s hard to imagine a more fanciful trip into international pop celebrity than that taken by the 10-man a cappella Zulu group from Durban, South Africa, which appeared at Caltech’s Beckman Auditorium on Friday. But even if Paul Simon had not spotlighted the group on “Graceland,” it’s likely Ladysmith would have still gained attention. In each elemental rush of breath, the group’s rich, haunting harmonies resonate with the innocence of free play and the profundity of spiritual values.

Whether singing in Zulu or carrying the simplest of English love lyrics, these voices suggest another kind of phantasmagoric journey, from ancient war chants to hymnals to American field hollers to street-corner doo-wop, finally brought home and reinterpreted at the source. Because of the culturally specific format, Ladysmith’s show tends to become repetitive, especially since almost all of the material is in the same key. And the more politically acute listener might wish for some reference to apartheid. But that doesn’t mean there’s any lack of spirit here; Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s elegant, hypnotic sound is testimony enough to how truly visionary art can rise above a state of oppression.