Zolani Mahola | |
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![]() Mahola performing in Cape Town in 2019 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Zolani Mahola |
Also known as | The One Who Sings |
Born | [1] Port Elizabeth, South Africa | 19 July 1981
Origin | Cape Town, South Africa |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
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Instrument(s) |
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Years active | 2002–present |
Labels | Platoon |
Website | www |
Zolani Mahola (born 19 July 1981) is a South African singer, actress, storyteller and world-renowned inspiration speaker, now also known under the stage name The One Who Sings. [2] She is most famously known as lead singer of the internationally-acclaimed pan-African South African music group Freshlyground since 2002. On 15 August 2019, Mahola officially announced the launch of her solo career while the Freshlyground band went on to have their last performance after 17 successful years together on 31 December 2019 at Kirstenbosch Gardens in Cape Town. [3]
Mahola was born and raised in the city of Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa. She attended Trinity High School (which later amalgamated into St Dominic's Priory School).
In her final year at high school, she worked as receptionist at Makro during weekends and school holidays. She grew up on Ntshekisa Street, a long and busy street in New Brighton, a township on the outskirts of Port Elizabeth. She stayed with her dad and younger sister between 1999 and 2001. [4] In 2011, Zolani and Freshlyground gave a free concert on Ntshekisa Street as part of their 10th birthday tour. [5]
While studying a Theatre and Performance degree at the University of Cape Town, [6] she was cast in the lead role in the television drama Tsha-Tsha, which aired on SABC 1. [7] Mahola voiced the character of Zoë in the animated feature film Zambezia (2012), and also recorded the song "Get Up" for the original motion picture soundtrack. [8]
Mahola and six other musicians formed Freshlyground in Cape Town in 2002. [9]
After Freshlyground published their second album, Nomvula, in 2004, The Sunday Times described Mahola as one of South Africa's best and most inspiring young singers. [10]
She traveled to Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria with English pop singer Robbie Williams in 2006, with Freshlyground performing as Williams' supporting act. [11] The band supported B.B King as the opening act of his late 2000's (year disputed) performance at the Zenith Paris. They also performed at Radio City Music Hall at the 2009 46664 concert alongside Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Cyndi Lauper, Jesse Clegg, the Soweto Gospel Choir and MC'ed by Whoopi Goldberg.
At the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Mahola, with Freshlyground and Shakira, performed "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" in the opening and closing ceremonies. "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" was the official song of FIFA World Cup in 2010. [12]
At the Glamour Women of the Year Awards 2011, held on 25 July in Johannesburg, Mahola was among eight women honoured by the South African division of Glamour . Glamour declared both her and her bandmate Kyla-Rose Smith "The Icons" of South African women in 2011. [13] Mahola opened up in 2018 about starting a Solo project that would be independent of Labels and major sponsors [14]
On 15 August 2019, Mahola officially announced the launch of her solo career as a musician, storyteller and transformational speaker. [15]
In November 2019, Mahola wrote and starred in a one woman play based on her life entitled "The One Who Sings" at the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town. In 2020 she garnered a coveted Fleur Du Cap award as Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in the play.
In January 2020, Mahola performed at Kirstenbosch Gardens with multiple Grammy Award-winning cellist Yo Yo Ma. The two collaborated with various Capetonian musicians including legendary Xhosa musician and South African "national treasure" Madosini on a song performed at the United Nations in mid 2020 called "Amphibious Soul" in collaboration with the Sea Change Project (creators of My Octopus Teacher) of which Mahola is an ambassador.
Mahola released her first fully fledged solo single on the 27th of November 2020 entitled "Remember Who You Are" ahead of her planned 2021 release of her first solo album. She released the song as part of her ambassadorship of the Give Her A Crown campaign, a female empowerment platform using storytelling to affect the Gender Based Violence pandemic in South Africa.
In October 2021, her single "Wawundithembisile" featuring Sun-El Musician was released. Her upcoming debut studio album Theta Mama which is scheduled to be released later in 2021. [16]
Freshlyground was a South African band formed in Cape Town in 2002 and whose genres span between jazz, blues and kwela. The band members have different backgrounds, including those from South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. Freshlyground's musical style blends various elements such as traditional South African music which the band dubbed as "Afro fusion". They are best known for their performance on the single "Waka Waka " with Colombian singer Shakira, which received worldwide recognition. The music video – featuring the group – also received over 3 billion views on YouTube.
Get Up may refer to:
Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira has released 64 music videos, 5 live albums, 8 films, and 4 documentaries.
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Batsogile Lovederia "Rebecca" Malope is a South African gospel singer. She is known as "The Queen of Gospel." Her music career spans more than three decades. She has sold at least 10 million albums worldwide, making her one of the best-selling gospel artists of all time. Most of the 36 albums she has released have reached multi-platinum status.
"Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" is a song by Colombian singer Shakira, featuring the South African band Freshlyground. Co-written by Shakira and John Hill, it was released on 7 May 2010 by Epic Records as the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which was held in South Africa. Released in English and Spanish (with the title "Waka Waka (Esto es África)"), the song samples the original Cameroonian makossa song "Zamina mina (Zangaléwa)" by Golden Sounds and the lyrics encourage one to aim for their goals like a soldier on a battlefield.
Listen Up! The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Album is a compilation album with various artists including both local African and international. This album is the official music album of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and album was released on 31 May 2010.
Kyla-Rose Smith is a South African violinist, singer, and dancer, she performs with the Afropop musical ensemble Freshlyground, and with Kolo Novo Movie Band, a large ensemble that performs fusion music based on the music of Southeastern Europe.
Adventures in Zambezia, or simply Zambezia, is an 2012 South African animated adventure film. The film was directed by Wayne Thornley, written by Andrew Cook, Raffaella Delle Donne, and Anthony Silverston, and stars the voices of Jeremy Suarez, Abigail Breslin, Jeff Goldblum, Leonard Nimoy, and Samuel L. Jackson, with Jim Cummings, Richard E. Grant, Jenifer Lewis, Jamal Mixon, and David Shaughnessy in supporting roles. It tells the story of a peregrine falcon who journeys to the titular bird city of Zambezia. Adventures in Zambezia is the first film produced by Triggerfish Animation Studios and distributed by Cinema Management Group and Sony Pictures in English territories.
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The River is a South African television drama series created by Phathu Makwarela and Gwydion Beynon. An M-Net production by Tshedza Pictures for DStv's general-entertainment subscription channel 1Magic, it is available for streaming on Naspers' subscription video-on-demand service Showmax. Reruns began airing weekdays on Mzansi Magic in 2019, and older reruns began airing weekdays on Mzansi Wethu in 2021.
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Nomhle Nkonyeni was a South African actress who has appeared in television series such as Mzansi, Tsha Tsha and the 2007 mini-series Society, as well as feature films such as Of Good Report (2013).
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Eike Moriz, better known as Ike Moriz, is a German-South African singer, songwriter, musician, record producer and actor. He has released 20 albums in the indie rock, pop, Latin, easy listening, dance, lounge, blues, jazz and swing genres.
Afro fusion is a musical style developed in South Africa, in the 21st century primarily universalized by the indie rock, multi-cultural band Freshlyground. The fusion genre was first characterized as intermingling jazz, blues, indie rock and certain elements of traditional South African music, in 2010.
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