Human Angels

I've been listening to Freshlyground's Ma' Cheri album. It's five years old and I first came across it in 2008 when one of my friends was having a fling with some girl who loved it. As is the nature of these things my dear friend was in no time humming the same tunes and put the CD on replay much to the dismay of those of us who cannot sit still and get lost in something, we are all about the cosmetic after all.

Back then a couple of songs stood out; Pink Confetti for one, and which slightly heavier than your average girl or boy didn't love Pot Belly. But I put them aside after sampling Nomvula and getting attached to I'd Like, Doo Be Doo and Father Please.

I woke up one morning a few weeks ago and dragged the Ma' Cheri folder into vlc and decided it would be my theme music for the day. I've not stopped listening to them yet and there was a day I played Ask Me over and over and over till I worried something was wrong with me.

Freshlyground is an Afro-fusion band, which means their music has a distinctly African flavour with influences from all over the world, well, I imagine that's what 'Afro-fusion' means but why take my word for it, here's what Wikipedia says:

Afro-fusion is a type of music which blends contemporary music with traditional African rhythms to create a hybrid music style.
One of the best known Afro-fusion artists is Freshlyground from South Africa. There are also many Afro-fusion artists in Eastern Africa. Another is Afro Celt Sound System, who fuse traditional african music with celtic music and dance music

 which is what I was saying.

Technical stuff aside, these guys do good music. The band's made up of 2 chicks and 5 dudes, Zolani is the lead vocalist, Josh is on the bass, 'Shaggy' does the keyboard and percussion stuff, Kyla-Rose makes magic with the violin, Simon does the wind instruments, Julio the guitars and Peter beats the drums.

There is music that delights, that makes you sing, jump and prance about and then there is the kind of music that saves your soul. The kind you listen to on a dreary Wednesday afternoon and recall that there is a part of you that still looks at the world with the eyes of a child, that still wonders at rainbows, smiles and feathers. The kind that makes you want to fall in love over and over and over again. It is the kind of music these guys make.

We believe you could do anything… if you didn’t try at all
We believe the sun spins in your palm everyday and you don’t notice it at all…
But try a little harmony: see if you can suspend your disbelief
Forget about your destiny
Get off your feet and live!
Get off your feet and…

This song is one of the most complete pieces of music you will ever listen to, and I say this as an expert in this field, basing on my many years of music study and practice :)

Their most recent album 'Radio Africa' was released in May 2010, so please go and sample their stuff and buy a CD, or tee-shirt from their shop....you know, starving artists and whatnot...I can see you firing up utorrent, you thug, stop!