Brothers Zwai Bala, Loyiso Bala, and Phelo Bala have risen to stardom in their native South Africa as one of the nation's most unlikely success stories. Zwai Bala and his siblings were born into poverty and as second-class citizens during South Africa's apartheid regime, but Zwai's remarkable talent as a singer helped him strike a blow for equality, as he became the first black vocalist in the celebrated Drakensburg Boys Choir at the age of 12. Zwai and his equally talented brothers Loyiso and Phelo would later join together as the Bala Brothers, and their impressive talent and remarkable stylistic range, running the gamut from classical vocal music and South African Kwaito to pop, rhythm & blues, and gospel, made them one of the nation's most popular and respected acts. The Bala Brothers introduce themselves to America with this self-titled album, the soundtrack to a live television special produced for PBS, in which the trio, accompanied by an orchestra and the current lineup of the Drakensburg Boys Choir, perform for an enthusiastic audience at the Lyric Theatre in Johannesburg. Selections include "Circle of Life," "Under African Skies," "Pata Pata," "Something Inside So Strong," "Going Home," and eight others.
© Mark Deming /TiVo