After sneaking into the townships of South Africa to learn music at the age of 12 and protesting apartheid for several years, Sharon Katz and her band The Peace Train will perform at 9 p.m. Monday at Crowbar, 420 E. College Ave.

The group, now consisting of bassist Junius Wilson and drummer Eric Roberts, has had nearly 500 members at times. Using its music for political purposes, the massive choir has worked with Nelson Mandela throughout South Africa since 1993.

In recent years, Sharon Katz and The Peace Train has become increasingly popular in the States and even received a Grammy nomination for the album Imbizo last year. The band's unconventional methods of touring have further strengthened its fame.

"They have traveled throughout South Africa, and of course in America," said the band's publicist, Gene Goldsmith. "The band even went on a tour of Pennsylvania prisons."

Often lumped into the broad category of "world music" by most Americans, Katz prefers to describe the band's sound somewhat differently.

"It's Afro-pop-jazz-funk-fusion that is very danceable, upbeat and uplifting," she said. "It has all these elements while remaining South African music, too."

Also explained as "African music with a Philly twist," Goldsmith believes Katz's presence has influenced both political situations and musical history throughout the world.

"She's mainly just a choir director who can really rock and play guitar, but she has the ability to show kids the power of music and how it can change their lives," Goldsmith said. "Since the band is already very popular in South Africa, she now wants to bring the same joy of music to America."

Katz said she believes live performances in the United States will aid in the completion of this goal and looks forward to the show at the Crowbar.

"We were in State College a year ago, and we had a really great time," she said. "The audience was very receptive and seemed to have a higher consciousness, maybe because we were at a university. But I have a really dynamic bassist and drummer, and the three of us are going to blow the house down. We want people up and dancing during the first song."

Many students are anticipating the show and awaiting the outcome of the band's performance and the reaction of the audience.

"I think that a lot of students will be supportive of the band, especially since they are from South Africa, which is a country that has suffered a lot because of apartheid," Rachel Roman (junior-French) said. "But I'm sure there will also be a majority of students who might view something like that as unpatriotic or anti-American. I definitely think the backlash will be smaller because of their nationality, though."