Award Winning Musical Icons, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Lend Their
Voices to World Aids Day
What does Gladys Knight and the Pips, the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Anita Baker, The Rolling
Stones, Luther Vandross, Black Eyed Peas, Madonna, Whitney Houston all have in common? They
are a part of the elite list of performers and musicians worldwide who have been recognized by their
peers with the infamous Grammy Award.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo, South Africa’s elite international ambassadors of music are on the top ten
list of those artists mentioned above, are soon to make their first appearance in the Western Cape in
many months.
On December 1, 2009 at the Artscape Theatre, they will join American born singer and actor Jimmie
th
Earl Perry on stage together celebrating the 5 Annual World Aids Day Gala Concert. This is the
biggest event on the African continent commemorating the 21st year of World Aids Day. The Africa
Centre for HIV/AIDS Management at Stellenbosch University has hosted this event since 2005 and it
has elevated itself to being the must attend event of the year. Prof. Jan Du Toit, the director of the
Africa Centre has made significant successes with the academic program of the Africa Centre on
HIV/AIDS and delights in the cooperation of partnerships in this country and abroad.
Jimmie Earl Perry, producer and director of the event and a South Africa permanent resident for 5
years, is a former broadway performer having performed in “Starlight Express”, “Cats”, “Miss Saigon”,
“Jesus Christ Superstar”, “Dreamgirls” and many other hit musicals. He is currently recording his
second South African produced album along with Ladysmith Black Mambazo joining him on several
tracks. He is delighted to be among the very special artists, like Dolly Parton, Michael Jackson, Mavis
Staples and Paul Simon, to work with this incredible group. Jimmie, the director of Educational
Theatre and Creative Arts at the Africa Centre is a force behind the awareness concerts and
prevention campaigns on HIV/Aids in South Africa.
Joseph Shabalala, the lead vocal of Ladysmith is delighted to join this project and to collaborate on
such a necessary event to continue the fight against HIV/Aids. Performing with our own South African
artists such as Sterling EQ, Rouchelle Liedemann, Soli Philander, Voices of Love Ensemble, Cape
Philharmonic conducted by Marcel Koning of the Netherlands and the European X-Factor winner
Sharon Kips and many others.
Last year, the new Western Cape premier (then the best mayor of the world) Helen Zille attended and
plans to be an integral part of this years “Celebrating Heroes” themed gala concert along with
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Presidency and many other decision makers and esteemed invitees.
World Aids Day Gala Concert,
Artscape Theatre
December 1, 2009……7:30pm
Formal with a touch of Red.