Multi award winning musician Zahara is celebrating a new milestone: her 40th award after she scooped the Best Female South African Artist International Act at the Next Generation Entertainment Awards.
“I promise you I didn’t expect this award because of what is happening in our industry. Our music is not being played- if you want to hear our music you need to listen or watch TV at night or on Sunday,” she says candidly. The songtress is aggrieved at how some local artists are being treated and says “if you want music with a message you can’t find it. You have to be dressed a certain way to get your music played.”
In spite of her concerns, she appreciated the recognition. “I am so glad that I won emazweni (overseas) because that can only be God saying I am still doing the right thing. I don’t sing for awards, I sing to inspire people. I tell my story and so many people hear and understand it because it is real, it is my truth and people can recognise that. My music’s goal is to inspire and I inspired abantu at home and also overseas, so winning this award means God is still there.”
Her most recent album Mgodi went gold in a matter of hours and platinum in less than a week and I ask her who she is speaking about specifically when she says local artists are not supported. “The people, my fans, bought Mgodi but it played on the radio for one week and then it was gone. It’s the media that’s not supporting our music, and the media has the power to make or break you, it can make people like you or people hate you. It’s the media that needs to change…”
Her fourth album Mgodi was also released as an album with no singles and she says “Different people find different meaning in my music and that’s why I dropped Mgodi as an album so umuntu can choose their own lead single…”
I ask her about her record label Mgodi Music which she launched and if that was also part of her calling and she says “I don’t have Mgodi Music because I wanted a record label but sometimes you get a feeling that you need to move and move quickly for the sake of your well being. I was speaking to someone recently and saying that I am not in the music industry for myself, I am doing what I was born for. The Lord said baleka (run) and I so ran. I know people want to talk about what happened with Bhut’ TK and they can ask those people, but I did what I needed to do to protect my music…”
While celebrating her 40th award, Zahara is currently on tour. “I’ll be home for December because I am needed at home and I always come home, and then I go back to being on tour. I am doing Canada, New York City, Washington DC, Los Angeles, the UK, Germany and some islands as well. When I perform in different countries people say I am from South Africa like Mam’ Miriam Makeba and Lucky Dube, do you know what an honour it is to be mentioned among those names?” She will also be doing some work with award winning jazz and soul artist Kirk Whalum while on her US stops. She also says she will be playlisted in her tour stops.
As we end our chat she excitedly says she will be releasing music and visuals of work she’s done with her sisters. “Our first song is Great Is Your Name and we are performing as the Mkutukana Sisters- look out for it, it’s coming soon!”
