Born in 1973 in South Africa, singer Velile initially gained notice for her work in German musicals, Der König der Löwen (The Lion King) in particular. In anticipation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, she was recruited to sing lead vocals on the song "Helele," a collaboration with Danish percussion outfit Safri Duo. Broadcast on German television channel RTL as the World Cup's official theme song, "Helele" reached number two on the German singles chart and number one in Switzerland, where it was also broadcast on television. In the midst of the success of "Helele," Velile made her full-length album debut with Tales from Africa, a Top Five hit on the German albums chart and a Top Ten hit in Switzerland. ~ Jason Birchmeier