Letta Mbulu
| Letta Mbulu | |
|---|---|
| Born | 23 August 1942 |
| Origin | Soweto |
| Genres | Jazz, World |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1965– |
| Labels | Capitol Records, Chisa Records, Fantasy Records, A&M Records |
Letta Mbulu (born 23 August 1942) is a South African jazz singer who has been active since the 1960s.
Biography
Born and raised in Soweto, South Africa, she has been active as a singer since the 1960s. While still a teenager she toured with the musical King Kong,[1] — but left for the United States in 1965 due to Apartheid.
In New York she connected with other South African exiles including Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela and Jonas Gwangwa,[1] and went on to work with Cannonball Adderley, David Axelrod and Harry Belafonte.
On screen, her singing can also be heard in Roots, The Color Purple (1985), and the 1973 film A Warm December,[2] and she was a guest on a Season 6 episode of Soul Train. Mbulu also provided the Swahili chant in Michael Jackson's single, "Liberian Girl". Producer Quincy Jones has said of her: "Mbulu is the roots lady, projecting a sophistication and warmth which stirs hope for attaining pure love, beauty, and unity in the world."[2]
Discography
- Letta Mbulu Sings (Capitol, 1967)
- Free Soul (Capitol, 1968)
- Letta (Chisa, 1970)
- Naturally (Fantasy, 1972)
- There's Music in the Air (A&M, 1976)
- Letta (A&M, 1977)
- Letta Mbulu - Gold (A&M, 1978)
- Letta Mbulu - Sweet juju (Morning, 1985)
- The Best of Letta & Caiphus (Columbia, 1996)
- Greatest Hits (Columbia, 1999)
- Letta Mbulu Sings/Free Soul (Stateside, 2005)
- Culani Nami (Sony, 2007)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Douglas Payne, "Letta Mbulu", douglaspayne.com.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Craig Harris, Artist Biography, AllMusic.
External links
- Use dmy dates from August 2012
- Use South African English from August 2012
- All Wikipedia articles written in South African English
- Articles with hCards
- Articles with dead external links from September 2012
- 1942 births
- Living people
- People from Soweto
- South African female singers
- South African jazz singers
- South African musicians
- Female jazz musicians
