The music of the Soweto Gospel Choir might best be described as Ladysmith Black Mambazo goes to church. The two South African ensembles share qualities of rich vocal harmonies, contagious rhythms, and huge, encompassing spirit. Formed in 2002, the Soweto Gospel Choir is a youthful group of 26 men and woman most of whom are in their 20s. It quickly gained recognition with its debut album, Voices from Heaven that reached the top position in Billboard’s world music chart. The choir has also been recognized for its charitable mission in establishing its own Aids orphan foundation. On Blessed, traditional African hymns are often sung with just rhythmic accompaniment, allowing the hugely talented voices of the group and individuals to soar. Others selections display the west’s influence, and with the inclusion of organ they sound much like a Sunday in a Christian church in the U.S. —except for the language. Several familiar American gospel standards like “Oh Happy Day” and “Swing Down” are sung in English and presented relatively straight-ahead, and it’s fairly obvious that the lead vocalist here listened to a lot of Mavis Staples. The choir is at its best when its youthful enthusiasm is unleashed and the group jumps, claps, whistles and screams with devoted delight.