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| Zahara |
Of late, Harare has been abuzz with reports that South Africa’s pop sensation Zahara will be heading to Zimbabwe for her debut appearance. Zahara, who is often referred to as an overnight success story, is causing quite a stir on the airwaves not just in South Africa but also in many Sadc countries with her first album titled “Loliwe”.
And the news of her concert slated for March featuring the talented Chiwoniso Maraire, Prudence Katomeni-Mbofana and Victor Kunonga has heightened the excitement among her adoring fans. However, one of the frequently asked questions is just who is Zahara? The singer-songwriter was born on November 9, 1987 and started music at school where she was part of a choir aged six and at nine, she was told to join the senior choir because of her strong voice.
Her debut album “Loliwe” released last year proved to be a big success as it went Platinum in 13 days and went double platinum after just 17 days, selling over 100 000 copies in South Africa. This made her the second musician after Brenda Fassie to reach this figure in such record time. Zahara, whose real name is Bulelwa Mkutukana, was raised in the Phumlani informal settlement outside of East London in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, where she lived with her parents Nokhaya and Mlamli Mkutukana. She is the sixth of seven children. According to wikipedia, Zahara “first came to wider attention when she was appointed as the lead singer in the local Sunday school choir in Phumlani.
“Her stage name Zahara means ‘blooming flower’; as a child she was known by the nickname spine.” However, those in the know describe her music as Afrosoul which she sings in her native language, Xhosa, as well as in English. “Her music has been described as a mixture between the styles that have been popularised by Tracy Chapman, India Arie and the Nigerian singer Asa.” In Zimbabwe, she is topping the charts with the single “Lengoma” which features South Africa’s big names like Hugh Masekela and DJ Sbu among others. (Herald)
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