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Thula Sizwe!  (Hush, and listen!) The sound of the veldt is calling you.  Hush, and listen to the voice of Zulu South Africa. Hush and listen, as we sing of Africa, of hope, of reconciliation and peace.  Hush and listen, and feel the world draw in a little bit closer.

 

Thula Sizwe is an a capella singing group composed of eleven voices ranging from the deepest bass to the highest of tenors.  They sing in the traditional Zulu call-and-response style.  And while they sing, they dance.  They dance to the drum, to clapping hands, and to the sounds of their own voices.  And while they dance, the audience can never sit still.

 

Thula Sizwe was established just before the end of the apartheid era.  The group’s origins are in the poverty-stricken Black Townships of South Africa, yet their music reaches across racial and class divisions to share their intricate rhythms and harmonies with all audiences.  The musical style of Thula Sizwe is based in ancient Zulu cultural traditions. Abel Dlamini, the group’s leader, learned many of the dances from his father, who learned them from his father, and so on, back for many generations.

 

The tradition of competitions between different singing groups is an ancient one, as Zulu warriors would prepare for battle by singing and dancing, and it became very popular in the apartheid era, when many men lived far from their families in order to work. The men would form groups to sing and dance to entertain themselves in these times of isolation. That time also saw a resurgence in the popularity of a style of dancing incorporating the gumboots that they wore in the wet tunnels of the mines.  These gumboot dances use the boots themselves as percussion while the men sing, clap, and stamp intricate rhythms.

 

Thula Sizwe sings in the traditional style of close harmony based on the five-tone scale, but most of their songs are in fact original compositions by Abel Dlamini, or by other members of the group in collaboration.  Some of the songs celebrate village life, painting moving pictures of wedding celebrations, lost loves, the beauty of Africa and ancient struggles against wild animals and evil spirits.  They also sing of their religion, sharing the spirituals of South Africa, medleys blending western and African themes, and traditional and original works exploring the joy of their own deep Christian faith.