The Bergville Blue Roses
The Bergville Blue Roses hail from Mazizini in the Bergville district of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Their homesteads take in the extraordinary splendor of the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, now a world heritage site at the source of the great uThukela River. The group was formed nearly two decades ago by Siwakhe Wiseman Mbatha and his brothers. Siwakhe is the leader and composer of all songs on their first album, Isililo [Mourning, 2012], and second album, Ubucwebecwebe [Finery, 2015]. The Blue Roses perform regularly in the Drakensberg and surrounding areas. Their songs narrate stories of love and of loss; of fires, earthquakes, and the forces of nature; and of the struggles of rural life in South Africa's highlands.
Each song by the Blue Roses details a narrative that unfolds as a dialogue between choir and soloist. This is classic isicathamiya: a form of Zulu choral music that emerged in South Africa’s urban areas in the mid-twentieth century. Its most famous exponents are the Grammy award winners Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The Bergville Blue Roses are innovators in this genre. Wiseman’s songs embrace the tonal qualities of isiZulu and fuse these with the characteristic four-part harmonies and rhythms of traditional song and dance.