Journey of Dreams is an album by the South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, released in 1988.[2][3]Journey of Dreams also served as the title of a film about frontman Joseph Shabalala, directed by David Lister and shot around the same time.[4] Shabalala chose the title in part to describe his journey from his birthplace of Ladysmith to international success.[5] It also refers to his desire to get the sound he heard in his dreams on to record.[6] The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Traditional Folk Recording".[7] The group supported it with North American tour.[8]
Production
The album was coproduced by Russ Titelman.[9] The group recorded two songs in tribute to Paul Simon, who had collaborated with them on Graceland.[10] Simon also arranged and sang on the group's version of "Amazing Grace".[11] "Hamba Dompasi (No More Passbook)" is about South Africa's pass laws.[12] "Bavim' Indela (The Stumbling Block)" is a tribute to Miriam Makeba and Hugh Maskela.[13] Ladysmith Black Mambazo sang two of the album's songs in English.[14]
Robert Christgau noted that "Simon takes the lead on 'Amazing Grace', the 'Send in the Clowns' of roots music."[16]The Philadelphia Inquirer determined that the album "elevates leader Joseph Shabalala's spirituals to theatrical heights."[19] The Toronto Star called it "a candid weaving of spiritually inspired Zulu folklore interspersed with vivid accounts of Ladysmith's own history."[12]
The Philadelphia Daily News praised the "winsome, frisky folk harmony sound."[20] The Richmond Times-Dispatch called Journey of Dreams "soulfully mesmerizing."[21] The St. Louis Post-Dispatch admired "the lush fullness of 10 male voices in thick harmony [and] the intricate rhythmic shifts of Shabalala's lead vocals around the dense response of the choir."[22]
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