Timothy Moloi
With a voice like velvet and looks to match, Timothy Moloi is one of South Africa’s most exciting talents. After appearing at the Starlight Pop Opera Concert last year in Durban, and releasing his debut solo album in July 2009, Moloi was one of the chosen few picked to perform at the 2010 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony, which showcased his talents to the wider world. As well as his unique brand of R&B and soul, Moloi also specialises in musical theatre, and has appeared in shows such as The Elvis Las Vegas Experience.
Due to perform in Durban’s Rhumbelow Theatre in August 2010, Moloi will be staging his first ever solo show, called A Few of My Favourite Songs. During the show he will sing a wide variety of different songs, ranging from musical theatre numbers right through to covers of Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder and Beatles hits, while taking time in between to explain what each song means to him. With a dedicated army of fans who have followed his career since the very beginning, this unique, informal performance is sure to sell out in record time.
Born in Orlando, Soweto, in 1975, Moloi grew up in a musical environment that nurtured his love of singing. After completing a Bachelor of Arts degree at Ohio Wesleyan University in the USA, Moloi returned to South Africa and embarked upon a career in show business. During the last decade Moloi has focused largely on live performance, and has worked with the Philharmonic Orchestras of Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Johannesburg, and the Soweto Gospel Choir. During this time he also appeared in a number of stage musicals, including Little Shop of Horrors, Motown Gold and Bring on Broadway, as well as making appearances at the 1999 All Africa Games, Earth Summit 2002, the Africa Peace Initiative Awards, and the 16th MTN South Africa Music Awards.
With debut album ‘Love That Music’ riding high in the charts, it would seem that the only way is up for one of the country’s brightest stars, hailed by Leon Muston in the Weekend Post as “one of the most exciting new vocal talents to hit the scene in recent years”. As well as achieving excellent sales, Moloi’s album was lauded by a wide range of critics. Therese Owen in The Star called it “the most feel good album of the year”, while Bill Ryan of The Independent on Saturday described the album as “a collection of class and sass”.
Although it may seem this man has appeared out of the blue, Moloi has been laying the foundations of this success for many years, and completely deserves his time in the spotlight. And if the commercial and critical success of ‘Love That Music’ is anything to go by, he will be hogging that spotlight for some time to come.
