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Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday Life Correspondent
When Yvonne Chaka Chaka finally turns in her crown as the Princess of Africa, the woman to succeed her may be none other than Zimbabwe’s own Berita Khumalo, the young songbird who has enjoyed serving an extended internship under the wing of one of Africa’s most celebrated artistes.
Berita and Chaka Chaka have struck up a mother-daughter relationship in the last few years, with the Zimbabwean jazz musician even getting a much sought after collaboration on her last album.
That album, titled Berita, was a follow-up to her previous effort Songs of Empowerment, an album that saw her try to bridge the gap between the old and the new when she featured the likes of Oliver Mtukudzi and Hugh Masekela.
While Berita is on her ongoing tour of East Africa where she is promoting her brand in that part of the continent, she revealed that she had not stopped seeking guidance from the ageless South African beauty.
“I have had an exciting music career and I have been very fortunate. For me it has to be working with the late Bra Hugh Masekela and Oliver Mtukudzi. That was a big highlight. It just changed the trajectory of my career because I was this young girl and then all of a sudden it’s like, “what’s so special about her?”
I learnt a lot about how to present myself as an artiste, how to communicate my ideas and Oliver Mtukudzi told me to talk about what’s happening in my community. One of the highlights that I keep on enjoying is being mentored by Yvonne Chakachaka. That’s something that I truly enjoy and I’m learning a lot,” she said when asked to reveal the highlights of her career by Kenya Buzz.
Chaka Chaka had in the past said Berita had impressed her with her song making skills on the track, Jewel of Africa. “When Berita came to me with the track, she sang it her way and I liked it. I said this is how I’m going to respond. I wanted us to make it so positive,” Chaka Chaka said in an interview.
Online Reporter