The Baobab Sisters.

A GROUP of Scandinavian singers, who perform songs in Zulu and Xhosa, will be performing at the Caversham Mill Restaurant in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands on Heritage Day (September 24).

The Baobab Sisters will be joined for the Mill Sessions concert by David “Qadasi” Jenkins and Maqhinga Radebe, who will perform their signature maskandi music.

Founded in 2009, the Baobab Sisters is an acapella group made up of eight women from Denmark and Norway.

For the past seven years they have travelled to South Africa to perform. During that time they have sung for Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and for King Goodwill Zwelathini at the Reed Ceremony; and have collaborated with Hugh Masekela, Mbongeni Ngema, iComplete and Qadasi & Maqhinga.

Asked why they choose to sing South African music when they hail from Scandinavia, the leader of the group, Rikke Forchhammer, says they “simply love the rhythms and harmonies in the songs and are emotionally touched and fascinated by the powerful and wise stories the songs carry with them.”

The Baobab Sisters will be showcasing songs from their new 18-track album, which has both traditional music and newer jazz and pop songs. They will also release a second album, made with Ngema, during their tour of the country this month.

Qadasi and Maqhinga.

Hailing from Empangeni in the heart of Zululand, Jenkins and Radebe are an acoustic quest to revive the powerful sounds of traditional Maskandi music. Nominated for both South African Music Awards and SA Traditional Music Awards, they have taken their fusion of traditional Zulu and western folk music to audiences in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Asia. Their new collaborative album, Lashis’ Ilanga, was recently nominated for a 2017 SAMA for best traditional album.

Run by avid live music lovers, Terry and Di Acres, the Mill Sessions aim to bring live music of the finest calibre to KZN Midlands audiences. Concerts take place at either the Caversham Mill Restaurant or the idyllic Midlands Forest Lodge.

Among the artists who have performed at the two venues are Jesse Clegg (son of the legendary Johnny Clegg), Arno Carstens, Nibs van der Spuy, Oliver Mtukudzi, Paul Hanmer, Wendy Oldfield, Kahn Morbee (lead singer of the Parlotones) and, most recently, Shortstraw.

Tickets for the concert are R110. The restaurant opens at 6 pm with the music starting at around 8.15 pm. Concert-goers are encouraged to wear something reflecting their heritage or anything else semi-formal.

To book your seats email cavershammill@mweb.co.za or phone 033 234 4524.

• If you would like a taster of what to expect from the Baobab Sisters, check out their Youtube channel using this link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHISbRMXH8XJwuG0LukCZ0Q