Mohalenyane Phakela

AWARD-WINNING South African acapella group, The Soil, have promised to deliver a spectacular show on Thursday during their debut performance in Lesotho at AVANI Maseru Hotel.

The three-member group was formed in Soweto, Johannesburg in 2003 and consists of Buhlebendalo Mda and brothers Luphindo and Ntsika Ngxanga. They draw from the unaccompanied harmony singing tradition of South African music, which they have contemporized with their laid-back fusion of hip-hop, soul, jazz and afro pop.

In an interview with Xpress People from his Johannesburg base last week, Ntsika said they were looking forward to performing in Lesotho for the first time.

“It is an honour for us to perform in Lesotho, and we are counting down the days to next Thursday. Our mission is to share this gift from God with them,” he said.

“As much as it will be our first time in Lesotho, we have a lot in common with Basotho. During the apartheid era, some of our people sought refuge in Lesotho which will make us feel even more at home.”

Ntsika said they were pulling out the stops to ensure they bring their A-game during the performance.

“We have been rehearsing since last week, since our intention is to give our fans something to write home about and build our following in the Mountain Kingdom,” he said.

“In all the places we have performed, audiences have fallen in love with our music since we keep changing our repertoire and adding different elements to our sound.”

The show, Ntsika said, would be part of the promotional tour for their sophomore album Nostalgic Moments. The album was released in September 2014 amid rave reviews and features Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Khuli Chana among others. Mostly sung in English and Xhosa, the offering dominated the South African number one spot on iTunes and also topped Musica Charts following its release.

“We started the Nostalgic Moments tour in October last year in South Africa, and the show on Thursday will be our first international leg of the tour outside the country. We feel blessed to be holding it close to home,” he said.

Turning to the theme of Nostalgic Moments, Ntsika said the album carried messages of love, unity and patriotism.

“We sing about love in most of the songs. Nostalgic Moments is about reminding people that we are all human beings irrespective of skin colour,” he said, adding that Kommanda Obbs and Palycetra would be the supporting acts.

“It also looks back to the days of Sophiatown and evokes the vibrant, electric vibes that the likes of Blacksmith Black Mambazo, Hugh Masekela and Mariam Makeba exuded in their heyday. The underlying message is to remind listeners of the need for oneness and the love we must share.”

The group has received recognition, awards and critical acclaim from as far afield as Europe, North America and Asia.