South Africa’s golden girl of Afro-soul is back with new material. Helen Herimbi caught up with a much happier Zahara.
Zahara’s smile cannot be contained. She looks at producer extraordinaire Robbie Malinga, who sits on the stage with her, then to the audience and back again, all 32 showing. It’s clear that the listening session for her new album, Country Girl, signals a new, happier phase of the woman who was born Bulelwa Mkutukana.
“For the first time,” says Malinga who took on MC-ing duties as he is the main producer on the album, “we featured this old man called Robbie Malinga.”
He laughs. Like an uncle who always endears himself with his funny stories that always contain a corny joke. Zahara giggles at this and an upbeat duet called Bendiwrongo starts up loudly through the speakers.
The Eastern Cape singer-songwriter gets up to do the nae-nae and photographers and Instagrammers snap away. As if there isn’t enough elation floating through the room, Malinga decides he wants the pair to actually sing the song together and another mic is organised. They sing over the vocals like they’re on an episode of Live Amp.
The energy is palpable and a few more songs later, I go to find the lady of the hour to chat about her third album.
“I’m a hugger,” she beams as she wraps her arms around me. “I’m both excited and nervous at the same time,” she says about her album finally being released. “I’m nervous because I want you guys to like it.”
Following several reports that Country Girl has gone gold just 24 hours after release on #ZaharaDay last Friday, it’s safe to say people do like it. The 13-track offering is, much like her previous work, acoustically- driven and tackles issues of self-discovery, jealous love, players and the evils of money.
Its accolade comes hot on the heels of her debut album, Loliwe (2011), reaching double- platinum status in half-a-month and scooping eight South African Music Awards (Samas) in one night. Her second album, Phendula (2013), won two Samas.
Now, Zahara wants to make it clear that while material accomplishments are great, that’s not what she’s made of.
“With this album, I’m trying to say you are who you are, it doesn’t matter where you’re at right now. Silver and gold doesn’t have to define me. The soul in me defines me.”
There is definitely a dollop of soul lathered over the album. It’s clear in the current single, Imali, which was co-written by Zahara and Sello “Chicco” Twala.
The pair had already written My Africa, My World, an anti-xenophobia song featuring various artists, together. And it was then that Twala suggested they collaborate further. The result was the infectious Imali, an Nguni word meaning “money”.
“Oh my God,” she cheeses, “from the legendary Robbie Malinga to the legendary Chicco Twala! So with that song, we were saying: there are so many people who aren’t friends anymore because of money. Or how our friends now feel inferior because of it. People divorce and pastors fight at church. Even politicians! Why all the fighting? It’s because of imali!”
Most of Zahara’s songs have a social responsibility message and that’s intentional. “When I write music,” she confesses, “I just want to connect with people and that’s why I’m so excited about this album!
l Zahara’s new album, Country Girl is in stores now.