Lulu's career ends as it was taking off

Lulu Dikana's death at 35 on Wednesday night after a short illness is emblematic of her fluctuating career.

She died just two months after releasing a new album, and two weeks after being picked to support US star John Legend on his All of Me tour.

Opening for Legend here last month was supposed to give her the impetus she needed to promote her third, and self-produced, album, I Came to Love.

Her three albums, including her 2008 debut My Diary, My Thoughts , were released by different record labels, such was her search for the right fit for her music.

The fact that she and her more famous younger sister, X-Factor SA judge and musician Zonke, have followed each other between record labels attests to this.

The labels include Kalawa Jazmee, Native Rhythms, Universal Music, TMP Records and finally Sony Music Africa.

Their drummer and guitarist father, Vuyisile Dikana, died in 2009; their mother, Fundiswa Mgcongo, a poet and writer, about two years before that. Last year, one of the Dikana sisters, Busisiwe, died.

Immediately after her father's death, Lulu was diagnosed with oesophageal perforation, a hole in the oesophagus. Her career then took a back seat yet again.

Her debut album, My Diary, My Thoughts, featuring the lead single, Life and Death, disappointingly received little promotion.

Her sophomore album, This is the Life also failed to make a splash, and she "didn't want to record again" after that, she was once quoted as saying.

There appeared to be endless disruptions.

In March she announced that she would be making a comeback with a new album.

"This [first] single ... depicts me in the way I have always wanted to be presented to the world ."

Popular producer RJ Benjamin wrote on Twitter: "Lulu Dikana has passed on. Music with integrity and honesty, which no doubt reflected her life; too sad!"

Others trubutes came from Native Rhythms' Sipho Sithole, Simphiwe Dana, DJ Lulo Cafe, Bonang Matheba, Lehasa Moloi, Thami Mngqolo, Bob Mabena and Nandi Mngoma.

• Toya Delazy was yesterday roped in as a guest judge for tomorrow's episode of X-Factor SA to give Zonke time to mourn her sister's death.