Event Details
Wednesday, March 08, 2023
Doors: 6pm
Show: 7pm
Tickets processing fees may apply
General Admission: $35
Students: $10 (with student ID)
VIP: $55 (VIP seating + 1 drink ticket)
Children 5 & under free (lap seating only)
Venue
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center
Main Hall
390 Morris St., Sebastopol, CA 95472
Questions
Tickets@seb.org
(707) 823-1511
Customer Service hours: M-F 10am-4pm
** SOLD OUT **
It is our absolute pleasure to have the opportunity to host the incomparable Ladysmith Black Mambazo at the Sebastopol Community Cultural Center in 2023!
South Africa’s Five Time GRAMMY Award winning singing group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo,
was founded in the early 1960s by Joseph Shabalala, then a teenage Zulu farm boy living on
the lands just outside the small town of Ladysmith. In naming the group, Joseph used his
hometown to honor his family history. The word Black is reference to the black oxen, the
strongest of the farm animals he worked with, so to announce the strength of the group’s vocal
singing. Mambazo is the Zulu word for chopping axe, a symbol of the group’s vocal ability
A radio broadcast of a Ladysmith Black Mambazo concert, in 1970, opened the door to their first record contract, the beginning of a recording career that includes over seventy albums, earning nineteen GRAMMY Award nominations and those five GRAMMY Award wins, more than any other World Music group. Those albums are: Shaka Zulu (1988), Raise Your Spirit Higher (2004), Ilembe (2009), Singing For Peace Around the World (2013) and most recently Shaka Zulu Revisited: 30 Year Anniversary Celebration (2017).
Apartheid, the South African social system forced upon the country’s black majority to keep the white minority government in power, was a dividing force in many ways. The musicians and artists of South Africa took two paths of protest. Some sang songs with powerful messages of revolution against the horrors of apartheid. Others, led by Ladysmith Black Mambazo, followed a path of peaceful protest through songs of hope and love. When Nelson Mandela was released from prison, in 1990, he stated that Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s music was a powerful message of peace that he listened to while in jail. When Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, in 1993, he asked the group to join him at the ceremony in Oslo. It was Mandela who called Ladysmith Black Mambazo “South Africa’s Cultural Ambassadors to the World.”
The group sings from a traditional music style called isicathamiya (is-cot-a-ME-Ya), which developed in the mines of South Africa. It was there that black workers were taken to work far away from their homes and families. Poorly housed and paid, the mine workers would entertain themselves after a six-day week by singing songs into the wee hours on Sunday morning. When the miners returned to their homes, this musical tradition returned with them.
During the 1970’s Ladysmith Black Mambazo established themselves as the most successful music group in South Africa. In the mid-1980s, American singer/songwriter Paul Simon famously visited South Africa and incorporated the group’s rich harmonies into the famous Graceland album (1986) – a landmark recording considered seminal in introducing World Music to mainstream audiences.
In addition to their work with Paul Simon, the group has recorded with Stevie Wonder, Dolly Parton, Sarah McLachlan, Josh Groban, Emmylou Harris and many others. They have provided music for many movies, have appeared on Broadway and even had a documentary film, On Tip Toe: The Story of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, nominated for an Academy Award.
Joseph Shabalala retired in 2014, handing the group leadership to his four sons, Thulani, Msizi, Sibongiseni and Thamsanqa. In their hands and with their voices, the future of the group is assured to continue for years to come. Ladysmith Black Mambazo carries a message of Peace, Love and Harmony as they travel the world year after year. They bring this message, in song and dance, to every theater they perform in. We hope you will join them as they spread their message.
Visit their website HERE
We look forward to having you join us! Below is information to help you plan your evening with us.
This will be an ALL AGES, seated event. Ages 5 & under seated on a lap are free!
Timing:
Doors open at 6pm
Show starts at 7pm
** there will be a 20 minute intermission **
Parking:
There will be two parking lots available, and street parking. All parking is free for the evening. WE HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO CARPOOL!
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- Main Hall Parking – 390 Morris St
- Annex Parking – behind 425 Morris St
Tickets:
You will receive a confirmation email with your QR code – that is all you need. If you are not arriving together as a full party – that is FINE! We have all the registered names.
There are no refunds, however if you cannot make it to the show you may transfer your tickets to another person! Simply forward the email with your QR code to them and let them know the name the tickets are under.
If you have any concerns, please email tickets@seb.org. Customer service hours: M-F, 10am-4pm (707) 823-1511.
VIP tickets include VIP seating and 1 drink ticket!
Concessions:
Drinks and snacks will be available for purchase inside the Main Hall. There is no dinner or hot food onsite. No outside food or drink is allowed except for water bottles.
Restrooms:
Restrooms available in the Main Hall.
Covid:
Sonoma County guidelines in place at the time of the event will be followed. Currently masks are not required but recommended. Please see below for more information regarding COVID protocols.
Security:
All persons and items entering the Sebastopol Community Cultural Center are subject to search. No weapons, outside food or drink or drugs will be permitted. This is a drug free zone/venue.
Certain types of bags and/or cases are prohibited, including but not limited to:
• Backpacks
• Luggage
• Computer Bags
• Camera Bags/Cases
• Instrument Cases
• Briefcases
• Large Totes and Duffel Bags
• Any Purse or Bag exceeding 12”x12”x6”. Backpack purses must be worn on one shoulder. If a purse is worn as a backpack, it will be considered as such and will not be permitted in the venue.
Patrons with prohibited bags, cases, or other items will asked to return the item to their vehicle.
Items prohibited to enter Sebastopol Community Cultural include, but are not limited to:
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- Firearms of any size or type
- Other weapons and knives of any size or type
- Pepper spray, mace, or other chemicals*
- Animals other than Registered Service Dogs
- Alcohol, illegal substances, or drug paraphernalia
- Professional-grade audio, photo, or video recording equipment
- Cans, bottles, or outside food and beverage
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Frequently Asked Questions
Members of my ticket group are arriving separately, do we have to wait to enter together?
You do not need to wait! We’re able to check in each individual ticket within a ticket order. If you’re a group of 3 and your 3rd person is running late – no problem! Just make sure they have the QR code/know the name the tickets were bought under and we will check in the remainder of your group when they arrive.
I don’t have the QR code for my tickets, what do I do?
Don’t panic! We can look up your ticket order by the ticket purchaser’s name, email address, or the purchase confirmation number.
Do you have ADA seating for individuals with wheelchairs, walkers, etc.?
Yes! For seated events we have several locations marked for ADA seating. If all ADA spots are already occupied when you arrive, please see an usher or other member of staff to assist you.
I can’t make it to the show anymore, do you do refunds?
There are no refunds, however you may transfer your tickets to another individual by forwarding your QR code/confirmation email or letting them know whose name the ticket(s) are under.
NOTE: People often use social media (Facebook, Instagram, NextDoor, etc.) for ticket transfers. Please use caution and, whenever possible, only do ticket transfers with people you know and/or trust.
** SOLD OUT **
Donate to the Sebastopol Community Cultural Center
GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY
GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY
COVID – 19 PROTOCOLS
Anyone who does not comply with the policy in place will not be allowed into the venue.
Please do not attend an event if you are experiencing any unexplained, Covid-19 related symptoms as listed here on the CDC website, or if you have had recent close contact with an individual who is confirmed as having Covid-19.
Benefactor of the Community
$2000+
Patron of the Community
$1000
Affiliate of the Community
$500
Contributor of the Community
$250
Supporter of the Community
$100
Friend of the Community
$50
Advocate of the Community
$25
Name Your Own Donation
Any Amount
Are you looking to make a recurring monthly donation?
Please email us at sccc@seb.org or use our Contact page to make a request.
The Sebastopol Community Cultural Center supports ongoing programs that have become a part of the cultural identity here in West County, and your support is more crucial than ever. As we continue building community while adapting to new challenges, we rely on your donations to sustain our programming. Thank you for your generosity.
