A deep sense of sadness filled hearts across the nation as tributes and tears flowed over the passing of award-winning singer and musician Zahara at the age of 35.
“We have been robbed of a great talent,” said President Cyril Ramaphosa of the gravel-voiced songbird who shot to stardom and controversy.
Just like her music offered comfort to those with broken souls, the story of Bulelwa Mkutukana offers valuable life lessons to us all.
Zahara’s upbringing is a tale about rising up to face the odds when they are stacked against you, not having a victim mentality and attaining success through determination and hard work. She overcame many of the obstacles we encounter daily in South Africa.
“Spinach” or “Spinny”, as she was known in the village of Phumlani, near East London, where she was raised and was the sixth of seven children. She was self-taught on the guitar.
“When I passed matric, my parents didn’t have money for tertiary education,” she told the Sunday Times. So she started busking, with her sister’s guitar, on the streets of East London. Her immense talent was recognised, and the big break arrived in 2011 with her debut album Loliwe, catapulting her to fame.
She firmly believed the hardships she encountered in the music industry and in her personal life moulded her into a stronger person.
She firmly believed the hardships she encountered in the music industry and in her personal life moulded her into a stronger person. Her mission, she said, was to “tell my life story so that I can inspire and give hope to somebody else”.
She wanted to be remembered as “the girl next door”, despite winning numerous awards and accolades for her unique style of Afro-pop.
At the tender age of 23 she performed for Nelson Mandela at his home in Qunu.
What does this teach us? Don’t give up on your dreams, work hard and find your passion. Life is a gift, an opportunity that can be grasped with both hands.
But there was a darker side to the star that many of us can also relate to, involving family disputes over money and business disagreements. There was depression and a battle with the bottle which she admitted to having in 2019. It led to a deterioration in health, a liver failure diagnosis and, possibly, premature death.
“I used to drink for myself to be happy,” she confided in the Sunday Times. She came to accept it was related to depression over the murder of her brother and squabbles within the music industry.
It’s a stark reminder about a challenge many of us face over the festive season, a slippery slope of overindulgence that can lead to a longer lasting downward spiral.
“After I sang Loliwe, this is what [Mandela] did,” she told the Sunday Times. “He clapped his hands and said, ‘You are a very special girl, and South Africa is blessed to have you, and may the stars ... wherever you go, may they shine upon you’. I was like, OK, I’m blessed, I’m fine, what more do I ever need?”
Thank you for sharing your gift with us Zahara.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.