Albert Mazibuko

Mdletshe Albert Mazibuko is a South African choral performer and a member of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the isicathamiya group founded in 1960 by his cousin Joseph Shabalala. Born in Ladysmith, South Africa, Mazibuko was the second of six children — three boys and three girls — born to Mashumi Mazibuko. His siblings include Nontukuzo, Nelisiwe, Kholiwe, Milton, and Abednego Mazibuko. The family lived on a farm, and despite his father's belief in the value of education, Mazibuko left school between the ages of eight and fifteen to work on the farm full-time. Before joining Ladysmith Black Mambazo, he held several manual labor positions, including work in an asbestos factory.

At nine years old, in 1957, Mazibuko founded his own isicathamiya choir in Ladysmith called the Zulu Motos "SS Choir." He joined Ladysmith Black Mambazo in 1969 as a tenor, the same year his brother Milton joined the group as an alto. Mazibuko became a full-time member in 1973 and remains the only original member still active in the group. His brother Abednego joined Mambazo in 1974, and Milton remained with the ensemble until his death from natural causes in 1980, following the recording of the Intokozo album. Over the decades, Mazibuko witnessed significant changes in the group's lineup, as membership shifted from a core of Shabalalas and two Mazibukos to a roster largely composed of members unrelated to the Shabalalas.

Mazibuko met his wife, Lillian Dlomo Mazibuko, in 1971 and married her in 1976. Together they have four children: Phumzile Gladness Dlomo, born in 1970; Thobekile Goodness Mazibuko, born in 1972; Nhlanhla Mazibuko, born in 1982; and Khulekani Mazibuko, born in 1987.

On Broadway, Mazibuko appeared in 1993 in The Song of Jacob Zulu. That production earned the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music in a Play in 1993, an honor in which Mazibuko shared as a performer in the show.