Zahara (South African musician)
South African musician (1987–2023) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Bulelwa Mkutukana (9 November 1987 – 11 December 2023), known by her stage name Zahara, was a South African singer, songwriter and guitarist. Her music was classified loosely as "Afro-soul", and she sang in Xhosa, her native language, as well as in English.
Zahara | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Bulelwa Mkutukana |
Also known as | Zahara |
Born | (1987-11-09)9 November 1987 East London, South Africa |
Died | 11 December 2023(2023-12-11) (aged 36) Johannesburg, South Africa |
Genres | Afro-soul |
Occupation(s) |
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Instrument(s) |
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Years active | 2009–2023 |
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After signing a record deal with TS Records, Mkutukana's debut album, Loliwe (2011), went double platinum. Her second album, Phendula (2013), produced three chart-topping singles "Phendula", "Impilo", and "Stay". Zahara's third album, Country Girl (2015), was certified triple platinum. Following her departure from TS Records, she signed a record deal with Warner Music.[1] Her fourth album, Mgodi (2017), was her best-selling album and was certified platinum, while her fifth album, Nqaba Yam (2021), peaked at number 1 on iTunes.[2]
Her accolades included seventeen South African Music Awards, three Metro FM Awards, and one Nigeria Entertainment Award.[3] Zahara was on the 2020 list of the BBC's 100 Women.[4] She appeared as a guest judge on the seventeenth season of Idols South Africa in 2021.[5]