A weekend immersed in nature, art and music…heaven to me! Michael and I spent a few weekends ago in Ithaca, N.Y. It’s a sweet university town (Cornell University and Ithaca College) known for its natural beauty. In the heart of the Finger Lakes, it has more than 100 waterfalls, gorgeous gorges and challenging hiking trails.
But, we weren’t there to bask in Ithaca’s natural beauty THIS TIME. We were there to soak up the wide variety of street art/graffiti gracing buildings around the city…and MOSTLY, we were there to experience, LIVE, a South African Zulu singing octet who I’ve wanted to hear since I started traveling to Africa 30+ years ago. They’re an acapella choral group made up of 8 family members. Founded in 1964, their sole purpose was (and still is) to bring their people…actually ALL PEOPLE, a message of hope peace, love and harmony. It was especially important when they started, as South Africa was in the midst of the racially driven APARTHEID and their upbeat messages were musical gifts! It seems that the world needs them now as well…
Since their founding, they’ve been nominated for 19 Grammys and won 5. Their soundtracks can be heard throughout many movies, but they’re best known to us for their collaboration with American singer-songwriter Paul Simon on his 1986 Grammy award-winning GRACELAND album. Their harmonies are legendary, as they relate their traditional stories, history and culture through their music. They’ve performed all over the world, for royalty and for general audiences. Their energy and fun personalities are evident in all they do…they’re a DELIGHT to watch and to hear. GRATEFUL!!!
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