Proving once again that it can attract top-class talent and pull-off big-bang concerts that could rival events staged in larger metropolitan cities, The Ridge Casino and Entertainment Resort is bringing one of the most revered local bands, FreshlyGround, to its stage in March.

FreshlyGround, which co-performed the Official Anthem of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Soccer with Columbian superstar, Shakira, and has “wow’ed” audiences across the globe with its signature sound, will be live at The Ridge Casino on Saturday the 26th. This is the second major music event The Ridge Casino has staged recently, having hosted over 1 800 people at concerts featuring Eden, Prime Circle, Lira and Selaelo.

Fans are expected at The Ridge for Freshly Ground’s performance, which will feature some of the band’s evergreen dance floor hits from their earlier days as well as new hits from the latest album, Radio Africa. The band, which began its incredible journey to stardom in 2002, has its roots overtly rooted in Afro-pop while drawing on a head-spinning array of influences including soul, folk, kwassa-kwassa, and global dance. Time Magazine has described them as a “Benetton-esque” line-up, crossing cultural and age boundaries with ease.

FreshlyGround’s infectious energy on stage has made them legendary across the world. Some of their most illustrious international performances include, amongst a long list of others, the World Economic Forum in Switzerland (2010); Jazz Music Festival in China (2009); Radio City Music Hall in New York, USA (2009); Hague Jazz festival in The Netherlands (2009); Rome Auditorium in Italy (2009); Salisbury Festival in the United Kingdom (2008), and Zeltival in Germany (2008).

Some of the band’s noteworthy local performances include the FIFA World Cup 2010 Final Draw (2010); Cape Town International Jazz Festival (2009); Oppikoppi, Northam, (2004, 2005 and 2008); Standard Bank Jazzathon (2005).

“FreshlyGround is a world-class, world-famous music act and we are extremely excited to be hosting a concert in eMalahleni .As anyone who has seen them live will attest, watching FreshlyGround on stage will leave an endearing impression on you. It is the stuff that life-long memories are made of.  

“Don’t miss this opportunity to see one of the country’s most-treasured bands live on your doorstep. Who knows when we’ll be able to pin down this dynamic, internationally-renowned band for a concert here again,” says Motsumi ao Mphirime at The Ridge Casino.

Tickets for the show are already on sale for R120 at The Ridge Casino’s Club Festival Desk or through Computicket. The show kicks off at 19:00 at The Ridge Events Park. A few lucky locals can also win tickets to the show in two competitions.