Under African Skies
Qadasi & Maqhinga · A separate duo performance
Watch on YouTube ↗Ladysmith Black Mambazo · The live programme · 2027
UNDER SOUTH
AFRICAN SKIES
65 years of Mambazo.
And songs from Graceland.
With special guests
Qadasi & Maqhinga
- At its heart
- Mambazo’s own songs65 years of music, harmony and dance
- Alongside them
- Songs from GracelandA landmark in the group’s journey
- Special guests
- Qadasi & MaqhingaSouth African guitars & concertina
The programme
A musical journey.
A shared celebration.
Under South African Skies brings the full character of Ladysmith Black Mambazo into one evening: the closeness of unaccompanied voices, the lift of Zulu dance and the songs that travelled around the world.
The programme draws on 65 years of the group’s own music and revisits songs from Graceland. Introduced on their 2026 UK tour, it continues into 2027 with South African guests Qadasi & Maqhinga.
Traditional Mambazo repertoire and the guest-supported arrangements flow into one another. The singers remain at the centre throughout; guitars and concertina add new colours to the familiar vocal landscape.
Meet the guests
QADASI
& MAQHINGA
Two musical friends.
A shared love of South African traditions.
David “Qadasi” Jenkins and Maqhinga Radebe bring their award-winning partnership to the stage. Their work celebrates maskandi, with its distinctive guitar language and storytelling spirit.
For this programme, the two guitarists join Mambazo on selected songs, with concertina adding its instantly recognisable sound. The encounter brings instrumental warmth and rhythmic drive to the group’s harmonies.
From the songbook
Familiar songs.
A Mambazo evening.
Among the songs performed in the UK programme were these Graceland favourites, alongside the group’s own traditional repertoire.
A glimpse of the programme, rather than a fixed set list for every concert.
- Homeless
- Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes
- Graceland
- Under African Skies
- You Can Call Me Al
A look back · BBC Proms · August 2026
Under African Skies
at the Royal Albert Hall.
The 40th anniversary of Graceland was also celebrated at the BBC Proms in London, with Mambazo and an expanded cast of guest artists.
BBC Proms highlights · A separate concert
These films document the Proms celebration, including Laura Mvula and orchestral forces. They show a different line-up from the touring programme presented here, whose special guests are Qadasi & Maqhinga.
Homeless
BBC Proms · Ladysmith Black Mambazo & Laura Mvula
Watch on YouTube ↗Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes
BBC Proms · Ladysmith Black Mambazo & James Bay
Watch on YouTube ↗YouTube loads only after you press play.
Under South African Skies
Voices that bring
people together.
An evening rooted in Mambazo’s own history, opening out into one of their most celebrated musical encounters. European booking for 2027 through GRIOT.
Meet Ladysmith Black MambazoEuropean booking · 2027
Under South African Skies
Europe, excluding the UK
Ask about dates, routing and production
with special guests Qadasi & Maqhinga.