Reviewed by Gareth Hills

If you are familiar with Zimbabwean music you'll know Black Umfolosi, who have been touring the world for 30 years. The group's style is Imbube (township acappella), draws heavily from their own Ndebele culture and is described by the members as being a "vocal newspaper". The sonic tapestry the group manage to weave using only their voices manages to be both very soothing and yet challenging - you could probably put their music on in the background only to find yourself drawn into it. The opener, "Summertime" is an absolute masterpiece of vocal orchestration that manages to achieve that tricky balance of relentlessly positive subject matter without sounding contrived. Each performance is absolutely wonderful and their songs cover issues as diverse as AIDS and global warming, as well as traditional Ndebele songs. "No more going back to the darkness" - the refrain that ends the album's closer "Yes Lord" - sums up this remarkable group and their ongoing pursuit to create a better world through participation in and education through music.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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