Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Rounding off a laidback, well-balanced set, bluesy singer-songwriter Eric Bibb sent a current of excitement through Dublin's packed Olympia as he introduced the main act. "Touring with Ladysmith Black Mambazo," he smiled, "has been a blessing. These guys are truly amazing." With his last number, a beautiful gospel song called I Heard the Angels Singing, Bibb prepared the ground for the spiritual experience that was to follow.

South Africa's premier band sing the music of faith, hope, courage and joy. With their highly trained a cappella voices, extraordinarily subtle Zulu harmonies and frenetic dance steps, these ten men, young and old, have a rare power to transport their listeners to a higher plane. Transmuting negative emotions like fear, sadness and anger into the brightest most positive gold, Mambazo's music is like the philosopher's stone: an alchemy born of 30 years experience in South Africa. The strength, resolve and joyful resilience espoused by this kind of musical culture has carried many a human heart through the dark years of apartheid.

Beautifully controlled chanting forms the backbone of Mambazo's sound. These ten men can sing as one, break out into their individual harmonies and re-unite again within fractions of a second. The band's founder, Joseph Shabalala, an important cultural leader in South Africa, stands out in front giving invisible directions, changing the volume at the flick of a switch, modulating its sudden surges and dips, his voice yodelling sweetly above the rest or plunging down into an amazingly deep sound which he makes from the back of his throat.

Mambazo raise energy by speeding up the tempo, kicking their legs in the air in ecstatic dance and comic play-acting. Their sense of humour is as important as their compassion and warrior-strength. As always, they left their audience with laughter on their lips and peace in their souls.