[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Freshlyground's members cite diverse multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-national backgrounds inclusive of South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
At 15, Simon Attwell was a flautist in the Zimbabwe National Orchestra, later earning a scholarship to the Chethams School of Music in Manchester by age 17.
Aron Turest-Swartz studied piano with Merton Barrow at the Jazz Workshop in Cape Town during his teenage years before transitioning to drums and percussion in Dublin in 1998.
Josh Hawks, a backing vocalist and the bassist, was a prominent figure in the early '90s scene and played a pivotal role in the success of both The Streaks and the Zap Dragons.
The band went on to perform alongside local legend Miriam Makeba, as well as Stanley Clarke and Femi Kuti, at the North Sea Jazz Festival, held during April in Cape Town.
Follow-up hits included "I'd Like" and the signature track "Nomvula", the former achieving unprecedented success on radio charts such as the 5FM Top 40, where it remained at No.
Promotion for the album included a release of a collaborative music video with the team behind ZANEWS, a South African satirical puppet news show, for a song about Robert Mugabe titled "Chicken to Change".
Violinist Kyla-Rose Smith stated on the band's web site that "This album captures the emotion, the passion and the energy of our live performances.
Their music is frequently a fusion of genres incorporating an experimental wide range of crossovers including kwaito, folk, kwela, indie-rock, jazz and blues.
At the 2008 Channel O Music Video Awards the band received the "Best Africa, Southern" accolade for their single "Pot Belly".