South Africa: A Musical Phenomenon Called Zahara

Zahara, a musical phenomenon in South Africa

She is so well known in South Africa. She sold more than 285 000 copies of Loliwe, her debut album within a month of it’s release. Zahara has been nominated as the Best Newcomer for the Best Produced Album, Best Female Album and Song of the Year 2011 for her album. Some critics said she is “polluting the airwaves” because her songs are always on radio. Zahara is simply popular. She gets talent, a fresh voice, she is only 23 years old. “It’s not just the tittle-track “Loliwe” that defines the depth of her talent. All the seven songs that Zahara sings in Xhosa her mother tongue are exceptional. The other five songs are in English. But she “sounds better when she sings in her elegant IsiXhosa language”. Easten Cape’s (her native region) people are very proud of that rarest music gem of their land forced by lack of funds to quit the Mandela Bay Metropolitan University and take up her music career sooner than she had hoped.
Zahara (Bulelwa Mkutukana, her real name) is reaching fast her goal: to make her “album popular around the world”.