Zolani Mahola

Zolani Mahola (born 19 July 1981) is a South African singer, actress, storyteller and inspiration speaker, now also known under the stage name The One Who Sings. She is best known as the former lead singer of the 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 years on 31 December 2019 at Kirstenbosch Gardens in Cape Town. Quotes Overcoming is not a one step process. Our world is changing. The old stories have worn thin. We're telling new stories now. We're creating new realities: ones which inspire and give us true power. I've got a new story. A new chapter - deliberately created. In this part I show respect for myself and my world. Storyteller with soul | Voice for the children | The one who sings Strongest Story (retrieved 13 November 2025) I also just think that in general about life, whatever you experience feeds into whatever you end up doing. So, nature is a very big influence for me and conservation is close to my heart. Too often, we like to think of ourselves as somehow being separate from nature when the truth is we belong to nature. 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. Zolani Mahola on music, motherhood and meaning Mail & Guardian (20 February 2025) I think that this thing of men being the leaders and women having to follow is going to go away. In many parts of the world, it’s the rule of law that men and women should take the lead even though it’s very difficult in societies to find it that way. But in our band, we see each other as equals and my role in the band is my role in the band, so one can’t argue about that simply because I am a woman.   We are all different and the most successful artists are those who come up with something unique. Zolani Mahola on what makes Freshlyground work Music in Africa (3 October 2018) My mom died when I was six. My fondest memory of her was colouring in. She taught me to colour in the lines. I felt so safe, like I was infinitely loved. When she died, I struggled to find a new way to colour in the lines. Going on that inward journey has led me to this point where I feel I need to share my story for the benefit of others. To explore my individual voice apart from the collective. Going solo: Zolani Mahola on quitting Freshlyground, and finding her voice Sunday Times (25 August 2019) External links Category:Living people Category:Singers from South Africa Category:1981 births Category:Women from South Africa Category:Women singers Category:Women born in the 1980s