Throughout his career, American baritone Thomas Hampson's sung against the world's best opera choruses and ensembles. Now he can add the awesomeness of singing with an all-male South African a cappella group with the airing of CNN International's Fusion Journeys.
Last fall, Hampson travelled to South Africa to meet Ladysmith Black Mambazo on behalf of the show. The group, best known to America through Paul Simon's Graceland era, taught Hampson popular Zulu songs and he reciprocated with American folk songs.
The program aired yesterday during CNN's Connect the World and continues on Wednesday and Friday at 8:00pm GMT. Hampson's one of six hosts curated by CNN International for its show, which also includes Royal Ballet principal ballerina Tamara Rojo (she went to Beijing to work with up-and-coming Chinese choreographer Fei Bo) and a forthcoming episode with Korean-American violinist Sarah Chang.
