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once happened to her face.
Edith WeUtonga Katiji tries very hard to bury behind the 2009 accident that killed a fellow passenger and almost killed her second child, while still in pregnancy.
Today, she suffers momentary blackouts and seizures.
“There were three of us travelling in a car when an oncoming truck encroached into our lane while overtaking another and rammed into us. The passenger in the front seat was killed on the spot while the driver sustained broken limbs. I was seated at the back and I had serious head injuries including a broken ribcage and hipbone,” she narrated.
She went into coma for a week and a half with doctors and specialists running around to ensure she survived.
As much as the accident was bad news, somehow it brought a glimmer of hope and reason to live.
“At the time of the accident I was not aware that I was only few weeks pregnant with my second child. I went into a coma shortly after the accident and perhaps that gave me the reason to live. I could not feel any pain since I had an overdose and only God was in control. However, the question I would ask was this child going to be normal or not,” she said.
Incredibly enough, she had a speedy recovery and when she discovered about the pregnancy she was over the moon.
“My goodness, I never realised that I was carrying a baby and perhaps that is why I survived the horror crash. However, healing is a process and up until now I suffer from blackouts and seizures. There are still things that I am unable to do. Whenever I fall pregnant I experience breathing problems and low blood levels,” she said.
But the doctors did their best to ensure that her face got back to normal.
“I would consult different specialists for treatment and the process was not overnight. It took time to fully recover and I was so patient. If you see my pictures before and after the accident you will notice that there is a big difference,” she explained. When she came out of the operation she was so shocked with the transformation. “When I was in front of the mirror after the operation I couldn’t recognise myself.”
After the operation she moved on with her life and she later gave birth to her child whom she named Mudiwa now four years old and recently she was blessed with another baby boy Madalitso, who is six months old.
The 34-year-old mother’s claim to fame was when she won the National Arts Merit Award Outstanding Actress for her role in the play “The Come Back” by Siphiso Mabhena last year.
While her acting career was on the rise so was her music career.
She started off music as a vocalist in 2000 with the Army Band in Bulawayo before she joined Amakhosikazi, a group which was sponsored by the Swedish International Development Agency at Amakhosi Theatre.
While at Amakhosi she discovered her musical talent and was tutored in stage and screen acting. She found herself being the composer and main vocalist of the group. She was later to discover her passion for the guitar and she enjoyed playing bass.
The self-taught bassist and one of the few females in that field, Edith would emulate other musicians on how to play different genres.
Come 2006, Amakhosikazi collapsed and the singer then simply known as Edith Katiji formed her own group called “So What?” together with remnants from Amakhosikazi.
“We had lots of fun as a group and again I played a lead role in that group since I composed, sang lead vocals and played the guitar. We toured around the country and we had this care-free attitude towards life,” she said.
In 2008, So What? broke up due to the economic downturn in Zimbabwe and with the demise of the group some members got married while others moved on.
Shortly afterwards, Edith got a call from Tanga WekwaSando, a well-known township love rhythms singer based in Harare.
“He wanted me to join his group as a backing vocalist and so I left Bulawayo for Harare. At the time I was waiting for that moment to start a solo career and since I had worked with the other two groups the possibility of pursuing a solo career was real,” she said.
With help from her husband, Elton Mjanana, another well-known theatre practitioner, Edith says she has all the support she needs.
“We have built an artistic family wherey he is one of my biggest fans and I am his number one supporter. Whenever we are home it’s either we are reading or playing music. Our son Mudiwa now knows how to play the drums and I have taught Elton how to play the guitar,” she said.
According to Edith, the two met in 2005 during the Harare International Festival of the Arts when Elton was directing Wonder Guchu’s play “Alone But Together”
“In fact, he was an assistant director and the late Walter Muparutsa was the director. We spent more time together on and off the stage. That way, we discovered there was a lot of chemistry between us and we continued dating up until we got married,” she said.
In 2010, Edith released her debut album titled “Utonga” which helped her launch her own brand as Edith WeUtonga. Utonga means the break of dawn and her sound is best described as traditional contemporary and not jazz.
“I chose to use the name Utonga as a sign of renewal and a new beginning. I had gone through so much and I felt I owe God something after he saved my life. Even my lyrics changed as there was a lot of positivity and hope that is now my thrust,” she said.
The 10-track album “Utonga” produced three hits “Mukaranga”, “Chipo” and “Chipendani”.
On her birthday this year, Edith released her sophomore album simply titled “Kwacha” (the arrival). The 10-track album is a confirmation of her growing status as a serious vocalist and bassist, a title she is happy to be associated with.
She displays her knowledge of Shona language in songs such as “Royera Kure”, “Mashoko” and “Chinyarara”.
Tonight, Edith WeUtonga teams up with other vocalists Dudu Manhenga and Tariro neGitare at the Book Cafe for a show that’s been dubbed “5,2,1” concept based on the number of albums each of the artistes has. Dudu has five albums to date and Tariro has one.
If there is going to be one show you will attend at Book Cafe this year, this got to be the show!
Online Reporter