Freshly Ground is stealing the limelight with the official World Cup theme song “Waka Waka”. Here's what they have to say about their May release Radio Africa and their upcoming international tour.

From flying the SA flag on stage with Shakira performing their catchy “Waka Waka” World Cup song to releasing a new album, our beloved homegrown Afro-pop band Freshlyground knows how to rock the music scene from any side of the border. Their latest musical offering, Radio Africa, which the band describes as “more raw, more African and cohesive” has clearly hit the mark with fans: the album sold more than 10 000 in its first two weeks of release!

The album packs a punch with an eclectic mix of themes including love and relationships emphasised in singles “The Dream Of Love” and “Would You Mind”, as well as political references to consumerism and pollution in “Big Man”. There is less of their distinctive pop sound on this album – it’s a seamless and mature sound that shows just how experienced this band has become at producing authentic beats. They’ve been doing it together for eight years. This is what lead singer Zolani Mahola and drummer Peter Cohen have to say about their recent success:

Tell us what it was like performing with Shakira on “Waka Waka”?
Zolani: "The song reflects the spirit and energy of the first Fifa World Cup in Africa and we wanted to be part of that. It hasn't been easy facing the criticisms of fans and South Africans, but I do think the album [the official World Cup album] gives a great platform for many South African and African artists - more so than any other official album has given to recent host countries."

How did the association with Shakira come about?
Zolani: “The collaboration with Shakira for the official World Cup song happened quite luckily. Her producer approached us with her idea for the submission as he had heard a bit of what we had done. He hoped we could lend our own brand of South African flavour to the song.”

What was the inspiration behind creating Radio Africa?
Peter: "We wanted to make an African record; a record that celebrates the melodies and rhythms of the continent. We worked hard at integrating authentic traditional melodies and traditional instruments."

Tell us about the different sound that characterises this album?
Zolani: “Our vision for our new album Radio Africa was to take away some of the ‘sweet’ that had come to define Freshlyground, while highlighting more of the African element in the music. French producer Fabrice Dupont encouraged us to experiment with stripping the sound down to the essentials and to capture the live energy of our sound by recording all the parts together in the same space at the same time.”

So you’re set to head off on a big international tour…
Peter: “The tour is not specifically for Radio Africa – we always go to Europe in the summer. We’ve got about four or five trips in the next few weeks. I love touring. In a way it’s more focused – you’re not trying to be creative. It’s not stressful that way, gigging, you’re doing your daily job. Whereas when you’re recording or writing you’re pulling a different energy out. I absolutely love playing live – It’s the reason I still do this thing.”

How do foreign audiences react to Freshlyground, for instance to songs in Xhosa?
Peter: “The audience that we play to, we play to quite an – I suppose – educated audience … almost a world-music circuit and the people are kind of open-minded. They let it come at them and then make a decision; they don’t come with any preconceptions. They come to a gig looking for an experience rather than thinking they know what it’s going to be like be.” 

Does the band have any pre-show rituals?
Peter: “We generally have a bit of a huddle. I mean, we don’t do the Haka! We generally have a bit of a ‘guys, love you all’. It’s important – like any team it’s important to know the guys that you’re working with are behind you, especially if you mess up. You don’t want someone turning around and glaring at you – you want someone to laugh with you.”

Freshlyground are living proof that talent coupled with hard work, a dash of determination and a dose of positive spirit can lead to success beyond your wildest dreams. With an MTV (Europe) Award behind their name, platinum albums and a new release poised for greatness, Freshlyground are living the dream and doing SA proud.

Sources: Timeslive.co.za| Jamati.com | Capetownmagazine.com

Image: SONY MUSIC