They sing for hope. They sing for the past, present and future. They sing for peace, love and harmony.

And on Wednesday, they sang for Eastern in the Dvorak Concert Hall of the Doudna Fine Arts Center.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the four-time Grammy Award winning band from South Africa, stepped – no, danced – onto the stage Wednesday as part of their tour.

The nine-member a cappella group performed a wide-range of their songs, from the older hits to the most recent off of their new CD, “Always With Us.”

Mixing together different genres – Christian gospel with African music – the group were not ones to stand still during the performance.

Slipping in small jokes throughout the concert, such as dancing out of line and running around the stage, Ladysmith Black Mambazo worked on multiple levels.

Crooning to the audience one of their first hits – a song about hope – original group member Albert Mazibuko said the song was about a boy never losing hope.

The boy, who lived on a farm, watched the girl he loved leave. Despite others around him telling him to move on, the boy never lost hope. He continued to love her.

Eventually, the girl returned and the two of them were married.

Mazibuko said the song, “Nomathemba” was first written in the early 1960s, with its release in 1970.

“People never lose hope,” he said.

The concert also gave Eastern a chance to get to see the next generation of Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

Group leader Joseph Shabalala created the band in 1964, however, he could not attend Wednesday’s concert because of surgery.

However, his children and grandchildren were present during the concert and will be taking over to help lead the group into future years.

Joseph Shabalala’s son, Thamsanqa Shabalala led the group in Wednesday’s concert, backed up by the other eight members.

Most of the songs gave the audience different messages, such as, “Marriage is as good thing,” in response to a song about a man who gets cold feet before his wedding day.

Other messages came in the form of advice: “In order to succeed, you need to focus.”

Clad in traditional South African clothing, with animal prints ranging from zebra to rhino to lion and leopard, the a cappella group could not stop moving.

Initially beginning the performance by standing rigid at the microphones, it took no longer than the first song for them to break out in dances. Raising their legs, moving their arms across their chests and then marching in place, the band gradually let the dance moves become more extravagant.

By the end, one of the groups members, Babuyile Shabalala, Joseph Shabalala’s grandson, stood on his hands, kicked back his feet, and began dancing out of order – all to the laughter of the audience.

A group founded more than half a century before – 54 years to be exact – they have won the Grammy Award four times and have performed for the late Nelson Mandela.

Before the concert began, ticketholders had the opportunity to watch the documentary “On Tiptoe: Gentle Steps to Freedom,” which chronicled the creation and effect of Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo will be continuing its tour across America, heading for the east coast in the next few weeks.

Mazibuko said they would like to stay, but unfortunately the weather may hinder that wish.

“It’s the white stuff outside,” he said, laughing. “We’re not too used to it.”

Bob Galuski can be reached at 581-2812 or dennewsdesk@gmail.com.