Upcoming South African musician, Bulelwa Mkutukana, popularly known as Zahara, makes her maiden Zimbabwean tour this week. The two-legged tour will see the 24-year-old songstress perform in Harare and Bulawayo.
StandardLife&Style reporter Silence Charumbira (SC) managed to get in touch with Zahara (BM) from her base in South Africa. Below are excerpts from the interview.
SC: What are your expectations on your maiden tour of Zimbabwe? BM: Firstly I would like to thank you for the opportunity. I am very excited to finally see Zimbabwe. People always create various perceptions about Zimbabwe so I can finally see the reality about that country. SC: How much did you know of Zimbabwe, the arts and its people before the scheduled tour? BM: I had very little knowledge about the country, except for political affairs that are always on television. In terms of art, I was always fascinated by Oliver Mtukudzi. I love the way he plays his guitar and the way he interacts with the crowd. He is very down to earth and has been in the industry for years. I have also featured George Munetsi on my album, who is originally from Zimbabwe. SC: You mentioned George Munetsi, how did you meet and how did the combination go? BM: It was amazing. I always heard him on radio, but as a DJ and not a singer. I was surprised when he approached my producers requesting to work with me after we met at Nhlanhla Nciza’s DVD launch in November 2010. He had a lot of insight and it was amazing to work with him. I was truly honoured. SC: Zimbabweans would love to know who Zahara is. Where did you come from musically and what is your background? BM: I am originally from Phumlani in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. I was brought up in a Christian family. I was always involved in church and Sunday school projects. When I was in matric, my parents bought my sister a guitar, although she never used it. One day I just decided to take the guitar and start teaching myself how to play it. My friend would lend me DVD’s of musicians like Lauryn Hill and India Arie. I would watch those DVD’s and watch how they played the guitar, look at their finger placements and so on. I basically taught myself to play a guitar. That is how I discovered that I could be a musician, knowing that I couldn’t further my studies due to financial constraints as my parents could not afford to pay university fees. I performed at clubs and that is where Mr TK Nciza (CEO of TS Records) discovered me. SC: Why did you choose Afro jazz? BM: I grew up listening to Tracy Chapman, India Arie and Lauryn Hill among others. They inspired me to sing the kind of soulful music that I am singing now. Also my voice made it obvious that I would only sing that kind of music. SC: What is your view of African music, especially in southern Africa? BM: My view on the South African music industry at the moment is that it is growing and growing fast! I believe that is changing more and more and artists are improving in terms of production and song writing. We are now learning to use the different sounds that we as Africans have to offer, as opposed to what Western cultures are doing. SC: You are new on the mainstream scene and all of a sudden you are the best selling artiste in southern Africa, what do you owe that to? BM: Wow, it is so amazing. I sometimes can’t believe that when someone talks about Zahara, they are actually talking about me. The fame came so fast, it really has not sunk in yet. I am so grateful for what has happened to me over the past few months. All my achievements and the experiences have been amazing. I am speechless. SC: Tell me about your love life. Are suitors welcome? BM: There is no love life for me yet (laughs).
