South African band Freshlyground formed by people of different countries and cultures, was one of the most popular bands in the early 2000s. No one could forget the band that collaborated with Shakira on one of the most streamed songs of all time, Waka Waka, made as the theme song of the 2010 world cup. Fans can not help but wonder where Freshlyground disappeared to after many years of not getting music from them.
How Freshlyground was formed
In 2002 the band was formed by band members with different backgrounds and musical styles. The band was formed in Capetown, and the goal was to blend musical elements of Traditional South African music. The members of Freshlyground were from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, and their diversity brought them the recognition they needed.
Zolani Mahola was known as the band’s lead as she sang the lead vocals while the others played instruments and backed her up. The band comprised nine members during its lifetime; some came at different points in the timeline. In 2003 they released their first studio album, Jika Jika, which earned them recognition and invitations to perform at festivals.
Albums that Freshlyground did together and their song with Shakira
The group had the privilege to perform with legends like Miriam Makeba, Zimbabwe’s Oliver Mutukudzi and many more. They also performed in countries like Italy. The band released Nomvula in 2006, followed by Ma’Cheri in 2007.
2010 was the highlight of their career as a band because one of the videos had coverage in Britain’s media. They also performed at the inauguration game of football clubs in Capetown, followed by their collaboration with Shakira on the world cup’s theme song. The group last dropped a body of work in 2013 when they dropped their album Legends.
What is the band up to now?
In 2019, the band stopped perfoming together and went on to have different career paths. The lead singer Zolani Mahola recently rebranded her image and now calls herself The One Who Sings as a way to have her name with no association with Freshlyground. The rest of the bandmates still have a passion for music, but they are pursuing other things like family with music as something they do in their downtime.
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