Fresh start: Zolani Mahola, former lead singer of Freshlyground. She was one of the performers at the Concert for Love at Nirox Park, north of Joburg, last week. Photos: Aron Halevi, Alaister Russell
On a rainy Sunday, I drive up to Nirox Sculpture Park, just beyond the northern reaches of Joburg, to experience live music in the Cradle of Humankind.
Taking place two days after Valentine’s Day, it’s billed as the Concert for Love and features an eclectic ensemble of South African artists performing an acoustic set exploring the relationship between love and music. They include Arno Carstens, Richard Bruyns, Tubatsi Moloi, Wynand Davel, Albert Frost, Keketso Bolofo, Laurie Levine, AusTebza, David Watkyns and Sky Dladla.
But the person I came to see is Zolani Mahola. For years, she was the unmistakable voice of Freshlyground, the beloved Cape Town band whose infectious melodies and anthems of unity helped define the 2000s era of post-apartheid South Africa.
But in stepping away from the group that made her a household name, Mahola embarked on a deeply personal journey — one of reinvention, introspection and artistic liberation.
The intermittent drizzle and chilly air hasn’t stopped the show from going ahead as planned and neither has it deterred an eager audience from turning up in numbers.
Over the course of several hours, the collective plays a medley of their own original songs and classics by legends such as Nina Simone, Tracy Chapman, Miriam Makeba, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley, Sade and Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse.
A standout moment is when Zolani channels Sinead O’Connor’s raw vulnerability over Prince’s achingly resonant writing on a rendition of the classic Nothing Compares 2 U.
But the crowd really comes to life when she performs beloved hits from the Freshlyground days like Nomvula, Doo Be Doo and Pot Belly. When she sings I’d Like, people rise to their feet and wail at the top of their lungs in rhythm with her singing.
I catch up to her as she comes off stage and twist her arm into giving me a quick interview. We find a quiet place behind the stage to do what was supposed to be a 10-minute conversation but which goes on for over half an hour.
As a solo artist, Mahola has redefined her creative identity, weaving together music, storytelling and activism in a way that speaks to her soul and distinct perspective. She’s an ambassador for non-profit organisations the Sea Change Project and the Earth Child Project, which work on environmental education, awareness and activism; youth empowerment and promoting sustainability.
“So, nature is a very big influence for me and conservation is close to my heart,” Mahola says. “Not the traditional form of conservation but rather the awareness that we, as human beings, are so connected and inextricably linked to nature.
“And for me personally, I’ve got a lot of my spiritual and musical reconnection through nature.”
In 2020, the year after parting ways with Freshlyground, Zolani went for her first dive in the ocean, which she describes as sparking rebirth through nature. She was guided by Craig Foster, best known for the Academy Award-winning documentary film My Octopus Teacher, and founder of the Sea Change Project.
“Things have opened up a lot for me since leaving the band in 2019. When I went for that first dive, it was my first year of just exploring my own musical identity outside of Freshlyground.”
Mahola describes that dive as a stepping stone to almost separating her from being Zolani who was a part of Freshlyground to being in a new space to do whatever and be whoever she wanted musically.
During this time of exploration she also identified two passions that have become a big part of her purpose — nature and children.
Through the Earth Child Project, she works with children helping to raise the next generation’s awareness about humanity’s connection to nature: “Too often, we like to think of ourselves as somehow being separate from nature when the truth is we belong to nature,” she says.
Since starting her solo career, Mahola has released one album, Thetha Mama, in 2021. She’s working on a new one which she aims to finish before the end of the year.
When I ask her about the themes that interest her at this stage of her life, which we might find in her music, she speaks about collective action.
“There’s a song of mine called People Power that might just be one of the first singles from the next album,” she says. “It’s about the idea that, when we put our voices together and move towards a common vision, we can create change. And I think we need that as South Africans and as human beings.”
Despite going solo, Mahola clearly has not lost her love for the collective power of playing with other artists. The ensemble she performed with at Nirox is the same one she joined to deliver a memorable performance at Cape Town’s Kirstenbosch in December. For the Nirox show, they came together for a three-day artist’s residency and workshop, rehearsing and collaborating for the concert.
Mahola has established, and leads, an all-woman musical collective called The Feminine Force, which features Sky Dladla, Genevieve Lee, Ntombe Halam, Cal Thompson and Chante Phillips.
Freshlyground has started performing again after a five-year hiatus with new lead vocalist Mbali Makhoba. Mahola still maintains a good relationship with the band.
“I’m really happy they’ve started up again,” she says. “Freshlyground was a pan-African collaboration of musicians from all across the continent, from Zimbabwe, DRC, Mozambique and around South Africa. And so that music is ours. It’s all of ours.
“It doesn’t just belong to me, the voice, so I’m really glad that they’re able to take that legacy on and give a new, young singer a chance as well.”
Mahola is the mother of two boys, aged eight and 11, and says it has had a massive impact on how she approaches her career.
“As a human being, your priorities change, naturally, when you have kids, if you are consciously parenting. Things change. By definition, your identity changes as well, particularly if you’re a mother.
“So it’s changed the way I move in the world. It’s changed my relationship with success. For instance, success is no longer about constantly touring. I’m not there anymore,” she says before letting out a hearty laugh.
“And that was a big part of taking a step back from Freshlyground, because we were so very busy and I just needed some time to be with the family. So motherhood has changed a lot of things in my life.
“And of course the purpose work with the children through the Earth Child Project has influenced that and has been influenced by the motherhood journey as well.”
Another theme that’s been on Mahola’s mind recently is how much aging has allowed her to feel more comfortable in her own skin.
“You know, I’m in my forties now and there’s a bit of a sexy vibe, a bit of feeling oneself, which is an interesting thing to feel and to be in … it’s a matter of being more comfortable in one’s own skin as we get older.”
After more than two decades of writing and performing songs that form part of the soundtrack of our lives, Mahola deserves to be unapologetic about who she is and what her distinct voice has meant to South Africa. “I’m just giving a few fewer fucks now,” she says.