British saxophonist Andrew Young remixed the famous SA song Paradise Road by women’s group Joy featuring singer Timothy Molloy and Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
The new version of Paradise Road The saxophone-dominated single was released on 7 July on all digital platforms. The song became an instant hit when it was released in 1980 by an airy trio of Felicia Marion, Toko Ndlozi, and Aniline Malibu. Released at the height of the apartheid era, the song encouraged people that better days were coming.
Molloy, who has performed with various orchestras and toured the world with the Boks singing the national anthem, said it was an honor to be part of such a historic song. Molloy, who met Young while living in South Australia, described him as a brilliant saxophonist.
“He was here around 2020 and back to perform at a jazz event in Cape Town where he played Paradise Road with the saxophone. In this case, he was able to connect with one of the song’s co-writers, Patrick VBlairk. Patrick liked the version and they decided to work on it.
“On the flip side, I recoded another version with Ladysmith Black Mambazo a few years ago. So they were able to pull our vocals out and add them to the new version. The idea worked because it’s a beautiful track,” said Molloy.
“It is an honor to work with Grammy Award winning Ladysmith Black Mambazo and one of the finest saxophonists. Paradise Road It’s one of the important songs he comments on about history being a part of that’s a big deal.”
Young who now resides in Vienna, Austria, said he fell in love with the song during the Covid-19 ban while listening to SA music.
I came across the song Paradise Road And I loved the words that were powerful. I took it down and put it on YouTube and South Africans all over the world loved it. When I came to South Africa to perform at the Jazz Festival in Cape Town, I ended up with South African Don Davino Prince.
“It was amazing, and people loved it. They shared a video of us performing and got it to songwriter Patrick Van Blerk. He called me and shared the version I recorded, and it was very emotional.”
“But I told him we needed vocals or it would never get played on the radio. I think he did a great job on the song,” added Timothy, who has a beautiful voice and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Paradise Road It just gets on the nerves of South Africans. No matter what bad news they receive, they just keep bouncing back. It’s a festive song.”
Watch Mawlawi perform at the Lexus Pop Classic on July 22 as he will share the stage with the Mzansi Youth Choir.