Sibongiseni Lucas Shabalala (born 1972) is a member of Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Ladysmith Black Mambazo is a male choral group from South Africa that sings in the vocal styles of isicathamiya and mbube. They rose to worldwide prominence as a result of singing with Paul Simon on his album, Graceland and have won multiple awards, including three Grammy Awards...

, a South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

n choral group founded in 1960 (and still led) by his father Joseph

Joseph Shabalala

Joseph Shabalala , born Bhekizizwe Joseph Siphatimandla Mxoveni Mshengu Bigboy Shabalala, is the founder and musical director of the South African choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo.-Early life and career:...

.

Sibongiseni was born in Ladysmith

Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal

Ladysmith is a city in the Uthukela District of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is north-west of Durban and south of Johannesburg. Important industries in the area include food processing, textile and tyre production...

 (eMnambithi district) to Joseph

Joseph Shabalala

Joseph Shabalala , born Bhekizizwe Joseph Siphatimandla Mxoveni Mshengu Bigboy Shabalala, is the founder and musical director of the South African choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo.-Early life and career:...

 and his late wife Nellie

Nellie Shabalala

Nellie Shabalala was the wife of Ladysmith Black Mambazo leader and founder, Joseph Shabalala, for over thirty years. She had formed her own allied group, Women of Mambazo, in the 1970s...

, just shortly after the release of the group's first album Amabutho

Amabutho (album)

Amabutho is the 1973 debut release by the South African isicathamiya group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, recorded for Gallo Record Company . Amabutho sold over 25,000 copies in South Africa, and was the first record by black musicians in the country to receive gold disc certification...

. In 1976, Joseph brought together his six sons to form Mshengu White Mambazo

Mshengu White Mambazo

Mshengu White Mambazo is a South African choral group consisting of the sons of Ladysmith Black Mambazo leader Joseph Shabalala, with his eldest son Nkosinathi leading the group. They sing in the traditional style of isicathamiya, like their parents in the above group...

, Ladysmith's 'junior choir'.

After the murder of his uncle Headman Shabalala

Headman Shabalala

Headman Msongelwa Shabalala was a member of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a South African choral group founded and still led by his brother Joseph....

 in December 1991 and the retirement of several other members (Inos Phungula, Geophrey Mdletshe and Ben Shabalala), Joseph later recruited Sibongiseni and his brothers Thamsanqa

Thamsanqa Shabalala

Thamsanqa Shabalala is a member of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a South African choral group founded in 1960 by his father Joseph. He will replace Joseph as the group's lead singer after his father's retirement ....

, Thulani

Thulani Shabalala

Thulani Shabalala is a member of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a South African choral group founded in 1960 by his father Joseph.Thulani was born in Ladysmith to Joseph and his late wife Nellie...

 and Msizi

Msizi Shabalala

Msizi Innocent Shabalala is a member of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a South African choral group founded in 1960 by his father Joseph.Msizi was born in Ladysmith to Joseph and his late wife Nellie...

. Sibongiseni began singing with Mambazo as a bass voice and has remained in the line-up since 1993.

Together with his brother Thamsanqa and a well-known South African guitarist Maqhinga Radebe, Sibongiseni formed the maskandi-mbaqanga

Mbaqanga

Mbaqanga is a style of South African music with rural Zulu roots that continues to influence musicians worldwide today. The style originated in the early 1960s.-History:...

-isicathamiya

Isicathamiya

Isicathamiya is a singing style that originated from the South African Zulus. In European understanding, a cappella is also used to describe this form of singing.-Background:...

 crossover band Shabalala Rhythm in 1998, which has released successful releases to date including Ubuhle Bakho (2003) and Vuma (2005).