Bulelwa Mkutukana, known by her stage name Zahara, was a South African songwriter, singer, and guitarist. She sang in Xhosa, her native language and English, and songs of Zahara was classified loosely as “Afro-soul”.
Bulewa died on 11 December 2023, in Johannesburg, South Africa. She died at 36 years of age.
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Mkutukana’s debut album, ‘Loliwe’ went double platinum after she signed a record deal TS with Records. ‘Phendula’, her second album released in 2013 produced three chart-topping singles ‘Phendula’, ‘Impilo’, and ‘Stay’. Her third album, ‘Country Girl’, released in 2015 was certified triple platinum.
Read on to discover amazing songs of Zahara to remember her music legacy.
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Amapleya
Released in 2015, ‘Amapleya‘ appeared as the 7th on Zahara’s Country Girl album. It’s one of the best tracks of that album. You can stream and listen to Amapleya on Amazon.
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Loliwe
Released in 2011, ‘Loliwe’ was named after her first album. In Xhosa, the ‘Loliwe’ means ‘train’. The song’s message centers around staying strong and progressing despite challenges.
Ndiza
‘Ndiza’ is one of the songs from Zahara’s album ‘Loliwe’ which she released in 2011. The word “Ndiza” means come in English. And the song’s message centers around the wish to reunite with the person you care about.
Zahara’s emotional vocals captured the sentiment of missing someone deeply and yearning to be with them once again.
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Umthwalo
Released in 2011, ‘Umthwalo’ is a heartfelt musical masterpiece. Umthwalo means “The Load.” The song expresses the daily burden people carry.
Zahara’s performance in Umthwalo was also exceptional. It matched the message of the song. You can stream the music through the Amazon online platform.
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Bengirongo
Robbie Malinga is featured in the song ‘Bengirongo.’ The song was recorded and released in 2015. After its launch, Bengirongo went viral and received many streams.
It’s among the tracks in her third album, “Country Girl.” This song’s message centers around the pain of separation and the struggles of coping with a broken relationship.
Phendula
‘Phendula’, meaning ‘Answer’ was released on September 6, 2013. It was the lead single from Zahara’s second studio album.
On October 8, 2013, Phendula peaked at number six on the South African EMA Airplay Chart. Generally, “Phendula” is a prayer to God requesting the removal of hardship and suffering from humans.
Zahara performed “Phendula” at the Live AMP and the Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment World on December 8, 2013. Thorn Bubble Films shot the Phendula video in South Africa and uploaded it on YouTube on September 27, 2013.
Ina Mvula
Zahara recorded and released ‘Ina Mvula’ with Kirk Whalum. The song talks about the joy and happiness that love brings regardless of life’s challenges. Her emotional and uplifting vocals carry a sense of positivity and gratitude for love’s presence.
Zahara was an award-winning South African Afro-pop. She contributed a lot to black Afro-pop music. The seven songs of Zahara covered in this post are a few of her music that you can listen to remember her music legacy. You can get a music player on Amazon to listen to Zahara’s songs whenever you like.
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