adminBongani Ndlovu Showbiz Correspondent
SOUTH Africa-based Zimbabwean Afro pop musician Berita Khumalo says life stories are the mainstay of any successful song, especially if one sings them in a language they fully grasp and understand. Khumalo, 23, who is known for her tunes Thandolwethu, Pengaudzoke and Sukundixhesha has become a darling in South Africa for her exquisite music, often being likened to Zahara.
Artistes such as Jah Prayzah, Oliver Mtukudzi and Lovemore Majaivana, according to Khumalo, have had successful careers as they sing about life experiences as well as issues which affect society.
“You can relate to what Jah Prayzah, Tuku and Majaivana sing about as their music tells a story of what they have been through and what happens in society on a daily basis,” Khumalo said.
The artiste, who has one Metro FM gong to her name, said in order to make it in the music industry, local up-and-coming artistes needed to be original and not feel pressured into imitating other successful artistes.
“I appreciate what fellow female musicians are trying to do back home, but they should stick to singing songs in languages they fully understand.
“I learnt Ndebele at school when I was in Zimbabwe and Xhosa is a language that I use when talking to family in the Eastern Cape. Before singing in either language, I consult people who’ve a better knowledge of the languages than me, to make sure what I’m singing makes sense in that particular language,” said the Thandolwethu hit-maker.
Looking into the future Khumalo, who last performed in Bulawayo in December last year, said she was not releasing an album anytime soon as her second album Songs of Empowerment, released last year, was doing well in South Africa.
“The album is doing well and there’re many people who love it here and in Zimbabwe. The song Bulawayo I hear is doing well that side. I’ll have to monitor its performance before I release another one,” said Khumalo.
She said growing up listening to Majaivana narrate stories about the City of Kings in most of his songs inspired her to write the love song Bulawayo which has been received well by music lovers.
“The song Bulawayo was inspired by Majaivana whose music was popular with anyone associated with Bulawayo as he sang about things that were associated with the city such as Highlanders Football Club and suburbs such as Makokoba” said Khumalo.
“I did the same with Bulawayo as the song is about a lover that is looking for her partner in places such as Nkulumane, Njube and Makokoba to no avail.”
Khumalo, who recently graduated with a diploma in financial information systems, said she was planning to study music as she wants to enhance her skills as a musician. “I’m planning to study music because I believe that if I’m going to take music as a full time career I should learn more about it. My talent alone isn’t enough, there needs to be a secondary skill that can complement it,” said Khumalo.
The Bulawayo-born songbird has released two albums, Conquering Spirit (2012) and Songs of Empowerment (2014) with the former bagging the Best Afro Pop album at the 2013 Metro FM awards.
A video for Sukundixhesha, off Songs of Empowerment, will be released online at the end of this month. It will be available for viewing on YouTube and music channels such as Channel O.
Online Reporter