Beyond Vocal will be one of the opening acts at the three-day Joy of Jazz festival on Friday.
The a cappella outfit on the same day drops their long-awaited debut album, Mellowed, which has been over 10 years in the making.
Group member Scelo Mhlanga speak on their journey:
Over a decade, what has kept the group going?
What has kept us solid and evolving is the gift of friendship and, most importantly, God as our anchor. The name itself is self-explanatory. Beyond Vocal means that what we share goes beyond the music. What keeps us together is more than the harmonies.
You started as a gospel group in Soweto. How did those teething stages shape the group?
The early days were inspired by music from all over the world and everything that surrounded us musically – from Ladysmith Black Mambazo to the individual sounds we each grew up listening to. That’s how we created our own sound, interpreting music in our own unique way.
How have you redefined a cappella?
A cappella is considered a niche, we’ve managed to redefine and expand it in SA and beyond by keeping our interpretation of music simple. When most people listen to music, they naturally pick up on three things: melody, bass, and beat. So, when shaping our sound, we focused on those three elements because they are what make it easy for anyone to fall in love with the music.
What performance stands out as the most unforgettable?
It's definitely filling up FNB Stadium with Cassper Nyovest – that was a huge milestone. We were probably the first a cappella group to perform in front of 69,000 people, which was incredible. The biggest highlight of our career has to be sharing the stage with Boyz II Men. Every a cappella group looks up to them – they were our childhood heroes, the ultimate boy band.
What lessons did you take from performing with Boyz II Men?
The fact that they are still performing at their age is inspiring on its own. For them to give us words of encouragement and to recognise us the way they did was enough to motivate us to remain resilient and keep pushing, knowing that one day we can reach their level. What stood out most was their humility.
With your debut album, what can fans expect?
An a cappella sound that’s completely different – a fusion of everything from gospel to Afropop, R&B, Afro-jazz, and even dance. The diversity of the features we’ve included reflects that fusion. We worked with Idols SA winner and hit-maker Musa Sukwene on our single Sizakele, where he brings a mature, soulful touch.
We also feature Busiswa, who’s known for dance music. Then there is JR, not only a respected hip-hop artist but also an incredible producer, who added another dimension to the project.
What can people expect from your Joy of Jazz performance?
To be moved and taken on a journey through time with our hits.
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