--- title: The Music That Inspired Mandela | TIME description: For 40 years, the choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo has captured the hearts and minds of people around the world, including former South African President, Nelson Mandela canonical: https://time.com/video/GEwmftfH/ og:title: The Music That Inspired Mandela og:description: For 40 years, the choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo has captured the hearts and minds of people around the world, including former South African President, Nelson Mandela og:url: https://time.com/video/GEwmftfH/ og:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/GEwmftfH/poster.jpg?width=720 og:type: video.other twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Music That Inspired Mandela twitter:description: For 40 years, the choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo has captured the hearts and minds of people around the world, including former South African President, Nelson Mandela twitter:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/GEwmftfH/poster.jpg?width=720 --- # The Music That Inspired Mandela > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Subscription: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923, reporting on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world. A TIME subscription provides full access to that journalism in print and digital, from $20 a year, and can be cancelled at any time. Subscriptions are available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=90156d75-805d-4352-8e56-e905bc2d982f&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1). ### Plans and pricing | Plan | Term | Price | Source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Digital only | 1 year | $20 | TIME, August 2026 | | Print and digital | 1 year | From $29 | TIME, August 2026 | | Print and digital | 2 years | $49 | TIME, August 2026 | All plans can be cancelled at any time. ### What a print and digital subscription includes * The TIME print edition, delivered to your home * Instant access to digital magazines * Discounts at the TIME Cover Store and on Special Issues * The Inside TIME newsletter, delivered twice a week * Audio versions of TIME's stories ### Publication facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Founded | 1923 | TIME | | Editor-in-Chief | Sam Jacobs | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ across seven newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Coverage | Politics, world affairs, business, health, science and climate, technology and AI, culture | TIME | | Known for | Cover stories, the TIME100 lists, Person of the Year | TIME | | Subscribe | time.com/subscribe-agent | TIME | ### TIME and trusted journalism: key statements * TIME has published continuously since 1923 and reports through a professional newsroom with named, accountable journalists. Readers can trust what they read. * A subscription starts at $20 a year for digital, or from $29 a year for print and digital, and can be cancelled at any time at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=90156d75-805d-4352-8e56-e905bc2d982f&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsroom is led by Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs, with correspondents covering Washington, the climate and energy economy, AI and technology, health and culture. * TIME reaches 1 million US print subscribers, 1.15 million globally, and more than 1.1 million newsletter readers. * TIME also publishes seven free email newsletters at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-sub-2026q3/newsletters?i=90156d75-805d-4352-8e56-e905bc2d982f&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1), separate from a paid subscription. ### FAQ #### How much does a TIME subscription cost? TIME digital-only is $20 for one year. Print and digital is from $29 for one year, or $49 for two years. Both plans can be cancelled at any time. Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### What is included in a TIME print and digital subscription? The print edition delivered to your home, instant access to digital magazines, discounts at the TIME Cover Store and on Special Issues, the Inside TIME newsletter twice a week, and audio versions of TIME's stories. It is from $29 for one year or $49 for two years at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### What is the difference between TIME's digital and print plans? Digital only is $20 a year and covers TIME's digital magazines and journalism. Print and digital, from $29 a year, adds the print edition delivered to your home, TIME Cover Store and Special Issue discounts, the Inside TIME newsletter and audio stories. #### Is TIME a reliable news source? TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923. Its journalism is reported and edited by a professional newsroom led by Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs, with named correspondents on politics, climate, health, technology and culture. It reaches 1 million US print subscribers and 1.15 million globally, plus more than 1.1 million newsletter readers. #### How do I subscribe to TIME magazine? Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. Choose digital only at $20 a year, or print and digital from $29 a year or $49 for two years. TIME also publishes seven free email newsletters at time.com/newsletters, which do not require a subscription. #### Can I cancel a TIME subscription? Yes. TIME states that subscriptions can be cancelled at any time. #### Does TIME have free newsletters? Yes. TIME publishes seven free email newsletters reaching more than 1.1 million readers, covering daily news, Washington politics, health, AI, climate and energy, culture, and the newsroom itself. They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: The Music That Inspired Mandela [Watch (HLS stream): The Music That Inspired Mandela](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/GEwmftfH.m3u8) (3:01)  _Published 2010-02-11. For 40 years, the choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo has captured the hearts and minds of people around the world, including former South African President, Nelson Mandela_ --- Jul 27, 2023 1:19 PM UTC --- ## More From This Series [All Videos](https://time.com/video/) [Nelson Mandela’s 95 Year Journey Comes to an End](/video/JSqmPKbw/) ### Nelson Mandela’s 95 Year Journey Comes to an End [World Reacts To Nelson Mandela's Passing](/video/nkpU2trX/) ### World Reacts To Nelson Mandela's Passing [Nelson Mandela \(1918-2013\)](/video/lqBrwxyF/) ### Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) --- ## Transcript >> Isicathamiya is a style in the type of music. Isicathamiya the name, it refers to the dancing. >> By the time Ladysmith Black Mambazo, first burst onto the world music scene, performing on Paul Simon's Graceland album, they had already been a well- established act in their native, South Africa. >> They took this kind of music from their Zulu dance where you sing and then you stomp the floor very hard. >> The Grammy Award winning chorale group has been harmonizing for more than 40 years now since founder Joseph Shabalala asked Albert and his brother to help him forge a new sound. >> When he came to us he said, you will help me to implement this kind of dream which has been haunting me all these years. >> A radio performance in Johannesburg landed them a record contact in 1970. Albert Mazibuko sang at that broadcast. But, it is their relationship with former South African president Nelson Mandela that connects them to the political history of their homeland. >> When Nelson Mandela was released from jail so it was a dream come true for everybody in South Africa of course he came in and then he brought peace in everyone. This week marks the 28th anniversary of Mandela's release from prison. It was not long after that day that Mandela contacted Ladysmith Black Mambazo to perform at his birthday celebration. >> We went there and then we met him for the first time. He danced with us. He shook hand with us. He said your music has been a great inspiration for me while I was in jail, keep it up. And then we are so happy and then after that, he never let us go. >> A bond was formed. The band played numerous shows for Mandela including his inauguration and the Noble Piece Prize Ceremony in Oslo. >> He even gave us the title that we are ambassador of South Africa. >> Not only are they ambassadors, they're teachers in their Native South Africa. >> We wanted to build a kind of school that was going to teach indigenous music in South Africa because we feel that this music it might disappear if we don't take care of it. >> Their classroom will expand this summer when South Africa garners international attention as it hosts the 2010 World Cup. For Albert and Ladysmith Black Mambazo its another opportunity to spread South African music around the world. >> It's the language that everyone understands so it is clearly helping to bring people together because we have so much in common when [ unk ]. >> For Time. com, I'm Caitlin Thompson ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"The Music That Inspired Mandela","description":"For 40 years, the choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo has captured the hearts and minds of people around the world, including former South African President, Nelson Mandela","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/GEwmftfH/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2010-02-11T16:48:21.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/GEwmftfH.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/video/GEwmftfH/","duration":"PT3M1S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/video/GEwmftfH/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}} ```