The death of Zahara, a veteran South African singer, in December 2023, shocked the continent’s music industry.
The death of the Afro-pop singer was announced by South Africa’s Sports, Arts and Culture Minister, Zizi Kodwa.
Who is Zahara? Biography
Real name
Her real name is Bulelwa Mkutukana, and her stage name is Zahara. Some of her fans also call her Spinach.
Age
Zahara was born on November 9, 1987. She was 36 years old as of November 9, 2023.
Bulelwa Mkutukana died on December 11, 2023, which means she died when she was about 36 years, 1 month, and 2 days.
Tribe
She was born in Phumlani Informal Settlement of East London in Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Parents
Her parents are Nokhaya and Mlamli Mkutukana. She is the sixth of seven children.
Cause of death
Bulelwa ‘Zahara’ Mkutukana died at the age of 36 years old on December 11, 2023, after battling a liver problem.
A few weeks before her death at Johannesburg Hospital, her manager, Oyama Dyosiba, confirmed she had been hospitalized “following complaints about physical pains”.
Dyosiba, in 2019, confirmed she (Zahara) had suffered liver disease after problems with alcoholism.
Her sister Nomonde, at the time, said doctors had told her, “if [Zahara] continues drinking, she is going to die … We are making sure that there is always someone around her to monitor her so that she doesn’t start drinking again”.
Marriage
Husband
Hours after her untimely death, details of a planned traditional wedding, between the late singer and her lover, Mpho Xaba were leaked online.
Prior to the recent development, Zahara in 2017 became engaged to Amaza Nstshange. The details of their relationship were not made public.
Meanwhile, in 2019, she announced a second engagement with Ian Sibiya, before they parted ways.
Children
As per different reports, Zahara does not have any children and was unmarried until her death.
Career
Bulelwa Mkutukana music genre is classified as Afrosoul. Her songs were in her native language, Xhosa, as well as English and performed with an acoustic guitar
Zahara’s music career started as a chorister in her school choir when she was six years old. At the age of nine, she was asked to join the senior choir because of her strong voice.
Her stage name means “blooming flower” in Arabic. As a child, she was known by the nickname “Spinach” after her love of vegetables.
She was self-taught on guitar and broke through in 2011 with her debut album, Loliwe, a commercial hit that also won Album of the Year at the South African Music Awards.
Zahara performed the title track for Nelson Mandela at his home before his death in 2013, and later wrote a tribute song with the lyrics: “Hero of heroes / There’s none like him.” That song, like the rest of her discography, was sung in a blend of Xhosa and English.
Her second album, Phendula, opened with a collaboration with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, while the country-influenced follow-up, Country Girl, went three times platinum. She signed with a major label, Warner Music, for her fourth album, Mgodi, following a dispute with her previous label, TS Records.
She also campaigned against violence against women, which she described in 2020 as a “pandemic” in South Africa. She said she was a survivor of an attack from a man who pepper-sprayed her in his car.
Controversy
‘It is my first time in Africa’
The “Loliwe” singer in 2013 generated lots of media reactions for saying “It is my first time in Africa” following her visit to Zimbabwe.
Fans and other African music lovers criticised her, stating she meant South Africa is not part of Africa.
She, however, clarified her statement, saying she was misquoted. According to her, she actually meant it was her first time in another African nation aside from South Africa.
DJ Sbu denied Zahara’s claims that his label owed her millions
In an interview with eNCA in 2019, the songstress emphasized that the record label founder, Sbu Leope and Thembinkosi Nciza, owed her millions of money.
However, Dj Sbu counterclaimed Zahara’s assertion, alleging that Zahara isn’t aware that she is the one who owns the label money and not vice versa.
Fined for failing to appear in court for tax case
In June, 2021, the South African songbird was fined for failing to appear in court for charges related to the non-submission of personal and company income tax returns.
Mkutukana was found guilty of failing to appear on 19 April. The Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court issued a warrant of arrest for her on the same day.
She was charged in her personal capacity and also as a representative of her company, Zahara Trading (Pty) Ltd.
Disclaimer
The information in this article was curated from online sources. All details cannot be independently verified by NewsWireNGR or its editorial team.
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