After the world cup smash hit "waka waka" that was a global hit, I don’t think there is anyone who is not aware of freshly ground. This group has managed to crossover to many races with its multi lingual lyrics and a sound that is hard to box. Since their multiplatinum selling album "Nomvula" this group has been an unstoppable force, selling out venues and gracing festivals around the world including the Cape Town International jazz festival. They have been scooping award after award from the SAMAs, Metros and the Europe Music Award for the best African act, becoming the first Southern African act to win this award. But For the last couple of years freshly ground has been making a name for them when it comes to their live performances more than their albums sales. Their energy charged performances with choreography and ZOLANI’s mesmerising voice have been keeping audiences around the world begging for more.
I’ve been a fan of freshly ground since the album "Nomvula" landed on my hands the year it the topped with the hit "Doo Be Doo" that’s when ZOLANII’s soothing yet authentic voice had me hooked on every track on the album.
When I heard that freshly ground was scheduled for a two night event at Gold Reef City there was no doubt that I had to finally to experience this phenomenal group live before they head to the USA. The first thing was buy their latest album "Radio Africa" because when I attend concerts I love to sing along and be part of the experience fully. When I bought the ticket I was amazed to find the both events were almost sold out.
The day of the concert you could see the venue packed to its full capacity. The whole rainbow nation brought together under one roof by this talented group was a beautiful site to see.
The moment they steeped on stage they had the crowd and me on our feet with the song "BABA" taken from the album "Radio Africa". They way they encompassed the journey was interesting with Zolani’s narrations in between the songs showcased her once famous acting skills. It was evident that "Nomvula" is still a crowd favourite, with the crowd encoring the every song taken from the smash album. There was one member missing JULIO SIGAQUE due to him being in Manchester to welcome a new member to his family. The guitar player who was a stand in though managed to fill JULIO’s shoes.
The dancing and Zolani’s stage presence was mesmerising and the mixture of African sounds was food for my ears. The arrangements were on point with buttercup allowing Zolani to hit those high notes and a killer guiter solo within the song had the audience swaying. As much as they shine in their upbeat songs I especially felt them more in their more calm set which had the songs like "WOULD YOU MIND" and my favourite "VUL’AMEHLO", the way ZOLANI took her time with the melodies was intriguing making way for SIMON And KYLA’s beautiful solos.
Freshly Ground proved why they are such a popular live act. It’s because they have found a way that sets them apart from the rest. They are able to connect and translate their music to audience while taking them on a journey of some good music. This is an act that makes me proud to be South African.
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