This week, American listeners will get an introduction to three of the best-known voices in South Africa. The Bala Brothers are Zwai, Loyiso and Phelo Bala, and they have been commanding attention in their home country since the 12-year-old Zwai became the first black member of the renowned Drakensburg boys choir, six years before apartheid ended. The brothers eventually became national stars, performing R&B, kwaito, gospel and even opera, singing in English, Afrikaans and their native Xhosa.
Now the Bala Brothers will reach stateside ears with a performance broadcast on PBS stations, plus the companion album, DVD and Blu-ray disc. The trio joined NPR's Scott Simon from the Johannesburg studios of the BBC to talk about sibling harmony and grappling with institutional racism as children. Hear their conversation at the audio link.
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