LADYSMITH Black Mambazo, one of the world’s most famous a cappella vocal groups, will soon be back in Canberra.

They’ve been mingling South African rhythms and Christian musical themes for the past 51 years and have performed for Nelson Mandela, the Queen and the Pope.

As their American collaborator Paul Simon says: “It isn’t merely the grace and power of their dancing or the beauty of their singing that rivets the attention, but the sheer joy and love that emanates from their being.”

Albert Mazibuko, who joined his cousin Joseph Shabala in founding the group, is talking by phone from the town of Pietermaritzburg, in South Africa.

He’s made the journey to Australia many times before, but this time, the group has  a mission – to spread the good word about its new CD “Songs from a Zulu Farm”.

“These are the songs we sang when we were growing up,” Mazibuko tells me.

“We went back to our childhood to see what life was like we were kids.”

And since they’re all boys at heart, masculine topics dominate. After all, as he says, from young men come “leaders of the nation, you develop being brave, being a winner with nothing to intimidate you.”

One of their songs, for instance, involves a stick – “that stick makes one very strong, it says, ‘I’m in control’.”

As for girls, “we are taught there is no life without them.”

Another song concerns swimming: “It’s quite funny when we’re singing about driving out creatures like snakes and only leaving the turtles behind.”

One number is intended “to remove clouds in the sky if we need sunshine,” and several are about looking after livestock.

Ladysmith, “a very small town in South Africa where there wasn’t much to do”, gave its name to the group.

Mazibuko remembers the first time he went to town and saw cars and drank free soup that was “so delicious.”

As for politics, Mazibuko recalls how “controlled and frustrating” life was, where families were prevented from owning sufficient livestock to work their land.

“But singing encouraged our people to work together…When you sing you’re stimulating people’s minds,” he says.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Canberra Theatre, November 3, bookings to 6275 2700 or www.canberratheatrecentre.com.au