DVD Release: Beyond Graceland: Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Jan. 20, 2026
Price: DVD $14.96
Studio: MVD Visual

South Africa’s Official Submission for the Best International Feature Academy Award, Beyond Graceland: Ladysmith Black Mambazo tells the story of South African musician, the late Joseph Shabalala and his band Ladysmith Black Mambazo, who became worldwide sensations after powering Paul Simon’s landmark and massively successful Graceland album.

Filled with Ladysmith’s powerful music, the feature-length documentary covers the full breadth of the band’s career, from early years in rural South Africa to the height of global success and Shabalala’s passing in 2020.  Along with footage and insights into the Graceland recording sessions, the film introduces us to many of the luminaries who worked with Shabalala, including Dolly Parton, Whoopi Goldberg (The Player) and, of course, Paul Simon. The film also documents the complex history of Isicathamiya music – the musical idiom whose boundaries he helped to expand – in terms of the political and musical forces that helped to form it. This social context opens a window into his relationship with Nelson Mandela, who loved the music.

Beyond Graceland is an engaging tribute to one of the world’s most distinctive musical forms and the beautifully resonant voice that made it famous.