FreshlyGround are young, hip, funky fresh yet classy, made up of seven very talented individuals who awe audiences worldwide from Germany to Rome. They're vibrant in their performance and produce a uniquely African ambience in their sound that is delivered inimitably through the lead vocals of Zolani Mahola.
She may be small in stature but she has a significant presence on-stage expressed through her confident attitude and evident comfort with being in the limelight, but most notably through her powerful voice that resonates in every corner. Mahola is able to touch the audience with her voice even as she whispers.
FreshlyGround put on an intimate performance at the AquaFestival over the weekend, 19 December 2009, at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. They outshone even the spectacular venue that offers a breathtaking view of Table Mountain lit up in the night sky.
The star of the show, however, was definitely Mozambican Julio Sigaque who wowed the crowd with his skill on the strings. Violinist, Kyla-Rose Smith, who's also extremely talented on her instrument of choice, is quite delightful in the dance choreography, able to keep pace with the spirited Mahola.
Their sound is a smooth blend of African folk and Kwela, blues, jazz with just a hint of indie rock. They played a number of new songs to a warm reception from the crowd as well as popular tracks “Doo Be Doo,” “Pot Belly” and my personal favourite, “I'd Like.” What makes FreshlyGround so arresting is that each song has a story behind it and it's always told so beautifully. Their African ambience is a result of the band's diverse musicians from SA, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
FreshlyGround are Zolani Mahola (lead vocals), Simon Attwell (flute, Mbira, harmonica), Peter Cohen (drums), Kyla-Rose Smith (violin, vocals), Julio "Gugs" Sigauque (acoustic guitar), Josh Hawks (bass guitar, vocals) and Seredeal Scheepers (keyboard, percussion).
FreshlyGround were an awesome selection on the AquaFestival line-up and only seem to get better and better with each album release as they develop and grow as a band. Fans can expect their fourth studio album soon with recording currently in progress.
For the full line-up, read Aqua Festival for Cape Town's harbour.
