| Two Worlds One Heart | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Ladysmith Black Mambazo |
| Cover: | Two Worlds One Heart.jpg |
| Released: | 1990 |
| Genre: | Isicathamiya[1] |
| Label: | Warner Bros.[2] |
| Prev Title: | Journey of Dreams |
| Prev Year: | 1988 |
| Next Title: | Classic Tracks |
| Next Year: | 1990 |
Two Worlds One Heart is an album by the South African choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, released in 1990.[3] [4] The first single was "Township Jive", which the group had performed on the Graceland tour.[5]
The album peaked at No. 2 on Billboards World Albums chart.[6] The group supported the album with a North American tour.[7]
Several songs contain instrumental backing, a first for a Ladysmith album.[8] Ray Phiri wrote two of the album's songs.[9] Marvin Winans produced "Leaning on the Everlasting Arm", on which the Winans sang; group leader Joseph Shabalala was inspired to record the song after hearing Sweet Honey in the Rock.[5] [10] George Clinton cowrote and produced "Scatter the Fire". Anton Fig played drums on the album.
Robert Christgau wrote that Shabalala "has the lineaments of a pop visionary, and here he arrives at a crossover that does the style proud, moving gracefully from Zulu to English within and between songs and pumping the a cappella rhythms with instruments on three cuts." The Austin American-Statesman concluded that "the most intriguing musical meeting of minds ... is undoubtedly 'Scatter the Fire', a song that melds Zulu dance and American mutant funk."[11]
The Calgary Herald deemed the album "another haunting collection of spirituals, ballads, and Zulu traditionals." The Los Angeles Times determined that "much of LBM's music is based on hypnotic, not-quite-mainstream-sounding harmonies sung by voices so beautiful as to be not quite of this world... No one is making music more heartfelt than this." The Houston Chronicle praised the "dreamlike, a cappella harmonies and uplifting messages of faith and hope."[12]
AllMusic wrote that "this is one of the most ambitious albums Ladysmith has ever done, and its risk-taking pays off handsomely."
A Global Encyclopedia]
. Andrew R.. Martin. Matthew. Mihalka. September 8, 2020. ABC-CLIO.