Zimbabwe remembers timeless impact of Zahara

On Monday, Zimbabwe joined the collective grief echoing across South Africa as the devastating news of the death of songstress, Bulelwa “Zahara” Mkutukanana was announced.

The talented musician, renowned for her hit “Loliwe” succumbed to liver-related complications after battling illness for a while. She was 36.

Zimbabweans, those in the music industry and those who had the privilege of interacting with her are reeling from the loss of this iconic artist.

Max Mugaba, an event promoter of May 7 Entertainment, a company that once hosted the artiste locally in the early stages of her career, recalled Zahara as not only an incredible artiste, but an awesome friend.

“Her loss is a loss to an entire continent and an entire generation. We have lost not only an incredible artiste, but a good human being,” he expressed.

Mugaba recounted the impact of bringing Zahara to Zimbabwe in 2012, describing it as a historic performance that announced their entry into the mainstream concert promotion business. The gig in Harare was sort of a gamble that Mugaba had to take.

“In 2011, I reached out to one Tinashe Kanda who linked me up with Tenny T, a renowned booking agent in South Africa. I flew to South Africa to finalise the booking that culminated in the historic performance by Zahara in March 2012 in Harare.

“The impact she had was massive. Hers was one of the most diverse concerts that we have held. It announced our entry into the mainstream concert promotion business as May 7 Entertainment as the city came to a standstill,” said Mugaba.

He emphasised Zahara’s dedication to her craft, her warm humility, and her unparalleled work ethic in marketing the concert.

“The way she got involved in marketing the concert including early morning and late night studio interviews was astounding. It was nothing near the egotistical approach of many other artistes who are otherwise impossible to work with.

“Zahara had a warm humility which made working with her a pleasure. It’s not every time you see an artiste put in so much work into a concert as she did,” he narrated.

According to Mugaba, Zahara belonged to the same league as Miriam Makeba and Brenda Fassie, noting that she possessed the same ingredients that made those female predecessors succeed. He described her as a remarkable artiste who provided soundtracks to people’s lives through her music.

In 2010, Zahara announced herself to the music scene in style and was arguably the hottest thing around, churning hits such as, “Incwadi Encane” which featured Zimbabwean international George Munetsi, and “Destiny”. In a short space of time, she became a continental phenomenon, even staging shows in Botswana where her impact touched former sound engineer, Ezra Taruwinga.

Taruwinga shared his experience working with Zahara during her gigs in Gaborone in 2013. He described her as a vibe, a person loved by people, but also someone who sought perfection and was occasionally temperamental.

“I did sound engineering for her gigs in Gaborone in 2013 and she was a vibe. People loved her and went crazy when she went on stage. She wanted things done perfectly, but was very temperamental sometimes,” he said.

Local veteran radio personality Ezra “Tshisa” Sibanda expressed his devastation over Zahara’s passing, highlighting her talent, humility, and ease of getting along with others. He drew parallels between Zahara and past South African music legends like Brenda Fassie and Lebo Mathosa, considering her a potential successor to these queens.

Zahara’s musical journey, marked by multiple awards and international performances, leaves an indelible mark on the industry, and her passing is deeply felt, not just in South Africa, but across borders, reaching the hearts of those who admired her talent in Zimbabwe.

– @MbuleloMpofu