The Soil is a South African

a cappella Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...

group from

Soweto Soweto () is a Township (South Africa), township of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for ''South Western T ...

founded in 2004, consisting of the lead singer Ntsika Ngxanga, beatboxer Luphindo, and vocalist Theo Matshoba. The band eponymous debut LP ''The Soil'' (2011), which became certified Platinum by the

Recording Industry of South Africa Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA) is a trade association representing the interests of major and independent record labels of South Africa. Located in Randburg, RiSA is responsible for running the annual South African Music Awards (SAMA ...

(RiSA).

History

2003-2010: Formation

Its inception came about in 2003 when all the members met in Tikelo Secondary School during jam sessions. Back then the group was known as 'Particles of the Soil' and consisted of more than 4 members. As years passed, some members departed due to other engagements. In 2010, the group was down to four members: Buhlebendalo Mda (vocalist), Ntsika Ngxanga (main composer and vocalist), Luphindo (beatboxer and vocalist) & Samkelo Lelethu Mdolomba, commonly known by his stage name, Samthing Soweto. Mdolomba was involved during the recording process of the group's first album, however, due to contractual disputes and creative differences, Samkelo decided to leave and form the contemporary jazz group The Fridge where he served as the lead vocalist.

2010-2017: ''The Soil'', ''Reflections: (Live In Joburg)'', ''Nostalgic Moments'', ''Echoes of Kofifi''

In 2011, The Soil released their self-titled debut LP ''The Soil'' which achieved platinum status, selling over 50,000 copies. On October 7, 2013, their debut

live album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th centur ...

''Reflections: (Live In Joburg)'' was released and won Best R&B/Soul/Reggae Album at 2014 South African Music Awards. Their second album ''Nostalgic Moments'' was released digitally on

iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...

on 15 September 2014. It was made available for hard copy purchase on 22 September 2014. ''Nostalgic Moments'' received positive review from music critics. The album includes guest appearances by

Ladysmith Black Mambazo Ladysmith Black Mambazo are a South African male choral group singing in the local vocal styles of ''isicathamiya'' and ''mbube (genre), mbube''. They became known internationally after singing with American Paul Simon on his 1986 album ''Grace ...

and hip hop artist

Khuli Chana Khulane Morule (born August 27, 1982), better known by his stage name Khuli Chana, is a South African Motswako rapper. In 2014, he released his single titled Hape Le Hape 2.1 featuring Da L.E.S and Magesh. In September of the year, he releas ...

. At the 14th ceremony of

Metro FM Awards The 15th installment of the annual Metro FM Music Awards is an award ceremony in the South African music industry honouring musicians who did exceedingly well in their field throughout 2015. The show first aired on SABC 1 on February 27, 2016. The ...

, the band won Best Produced Album (''Nostalgic Moments'') and Best Duo/Group. In 2015, the band was nominated for Best International Act: Africa at

BET Awards 2015 The 15th BET Awards was held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California on June 28, 2015 and was televised on BET. This year marked the ceremony's 15th anniversary and the milestone was celebrated throughout the show, which was hosted ...

. On October 21, 2016, their third studio album titled ''Echoes of Kofifi'' was released in South Africa and met positive review from music critics. The album was nominated at South African Music Awards in the Best Engineered Album, Best duo/group of the Year and Best Afro-pop Album categories. The band further promoted album with Nostalgic Moments Tour in July 2014 at Emalahleni. In June 2020, the band made their decision to take an indefinite hiatus to pursue solo projects.

2021-present: ''Reimagined'', concert tour

In November 2021, the band was reportedly working on an album. The band embarked on A Decade With The Soil Tour on December 3, the tour included two dates that ran through December 2021. In early September 2023, band vocalist Buhlebendalo Mda was reportedly left the group, replaced by Theo Matshoba. "Thandwa Ndim" featuring Thee Legacy was released on October 13, 2023, as albums lead single. The band released their studio album ''Reimagined'', on February 23, 2024. ''Reimagined'' is the continuation of their kasi soul, jazz, and gospel influences music style. The Soil is set to embark on their ''Reimagined'' Tour at Star Theatre,

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

in March 9, with the tour concluding on October 26, 2024, in Pacofs Theatre,

Bloemfontein Bloemfontein ( ; ), also known as Bloem, is the capital and the largest city of the Free State (province), Free State province in South Africa. It is often, and has been traditionally, referred to as the country's "judicial capital", alongsi ...

Members

The Soil currently consists of three members: Ntsika "Fana-tastic" Ngxanga, Luphindo "Master P" Ngxanga and Theo "Songstress" Matshoba. Theo joined the group in February 2016 as an occasional replacement for Buhlebendalo Mda. Ntsika and Luphindo are biological brothers. During interviews, The Soil usually refers to

God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...

as the first member of the group.

Musical style and influence

The Soil musical style has mainly been described as

Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

Hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

Afro-pop African popular music (also styled Afropop, Afro-pop, Afro pop or African pop) can be defined as any African music, regardless of genre, that uses Western pop musical instruments, such as the guitar, piano, trumpet, etc.Olabode, O. (2023, J ...

, and

Afro-soul Afro-soul is a music genre that has African characteristics of soul music. It has emotional vocals, especially of the lead singer. Notable musicians * Brymo, Nigerian singer * Miriam Makeba, a Grammy Award-winning South African singer and civil ...

. The band cited

Miriam Makeba Zenzile Miriam Makeba ( , ; 4 March 1932 – 9 November 2008), nicknamed Mama Africa, was a South African singer, songwriter, actress, and civil rights activist. Associated with musical genres including African popular music, Afropop, ja ...

Busi Mhlongo Busi Mhlongo (28 October 1947 – 15 June 2010), born Victoria Busisiwe Mhlongo, was a singer, dancer and composer originally from Inanda in Natal, South Africa. Biography Mhlongo drew on various South African musical styles such as Mbaqanga, ...

Brenda Fassie Brenda Nokuzola Fassie (3 November 1964 – 9 May 2004) was a South African singer, songwriter, dancer and activist. Affectionately called MaBrrr by her fans, she is also known as the "Queen of African Pop" or the "Madonna of The Townships." Fas ...

, and

Simphiwe Dana Simphiwe Dana (born 23 January 1980) is a South African singer and songwriter who works mostly in her mother tongue, the Xhosa language. Dana is also known for her creative social commentary and activism through music as a political art form. Her ...

as their music influence.

Discography

Studio albums

*''The Soil'' (2011) *''Nostalgic Moments'' (2014) *''Echoes of Kofifi'' (2016) * ''Reimagined'' (2024)

Singles

As lead artist

Awards and nominations

Metro FM Awards

! , - , rowspan="2", 2015 , rowspan="2", ''Nostalgic Moments'' , Best Produced Album , , rowspan="2", , - , Best Duo/Group ,

South African Music Awards

! , - , 2014 , Reflections Live In Joburg , Best RnB, Soul and Reggae , , , - , rowspan=2, 2024 , rowspan=2, ''Reimagined'' , Best Engineered Album , , rowspan=2, , - , Ikwekwezi FM Best African Adult Contemporary Album ,

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Soil South African musical groups Musical groups established in 2003 A cappella musical groups