I’M SINGLE BY CHOICE: SHASHA
. . . single, album on the way
BET award-winner Shasha is home for the first time after winning the award.
Shasha visited the H-Metro newsroom for a brief interview with ZVIKOMBORERO PARAFINI after touching base from South Africa.
She talks about what she is up to and plans for the future. Read on…
Q: How does it feel to be home for the first time after winning Zimbabwe’s first ever BET award?
A: I’m feeling great, I’m feeling amazing . . . I’m happy to be home, I’m feeling good and I’m in good spirits.
Q: How do you feel about your most recent nomination in the inaugural African Entertainment Awards-USA?
A: Honestly speaking, it’s crazy how everything is happening; from the BET to AFRIMMA and now these awards. It’s definitely blessings coming together and everything finally falling into place, I’m super excited!
Q: What can you say about the support you’re getting from Zimbabwe despite being based in South Africa?
A: It’s been super amazing. I feel that my people back here have been supporting and backing me at the BET. I really want to thank them because they played a very important role in us winning the award and just supporting my music generally.
Q: How have you been affected by Covid-19? A: We can’t perform and that’s definitely one way we’ve been affected as artistes; performing is our source of income. It’s been tough, but there are a few things we’ve been able to do on our social platforms, pre-recorded shows and live broadcasts, but it’s been tough.
Q: What are you going to be doing to give back to your community?
A: I’m actually going to Mutare and I will be meeting people out there. I really want to work on coming back home a little bit more because I feel like people this side feel like I’m not accessible so I want to get to speak to my people and get to know them, see where I can reach out and assist in any way that I can.
Q: What challenges have you been facing as a female artiste?
A: I was lucky that when I started doing music I always had management at the forefront.
To be honest with you, I haven’t faced many challenges, I have been lucky.
I can never emphasise the importance of having management. There are certain people you would want to meet and management can help you get there.
Q: How are you hoping to engage your fans in Zimbabwe?
A: This year, I was planning to perform more
this side. I wanted to start with the schools; I feel like I have more fans there. I want to have the same presence I have in South Africa here because at the end of the day Zimbabwe is home.
Q: Who inspires you locally?
A: Oliver Mtukudzi because you know, tichikura pataienda kumusha, that was the music we would listen to going to Chimanimani and also Thomas Mapfumo. Although my dad forced them on me, I caught onto it. Seeing their accom
SHASHA
plishments, internationally, I was just like this is definitely something to be inspired by and look up to.
Q: What lessons have you learnt from the SA Showbiz industry that you think would also work for Zimbabwe?
A: I feel like Zimbabwe is still growing and having seen what I’ve seen in South Africa, we need production companies, we need exposure and to have people who have made it in the diaspora
come and invest in the industry back home.
I see myself having a label in the future, and I would love to have that here in Zimbabwe. It would be nice to have more people think like me and give back the things we see and learn that side. Q: What hidden talents do you have?
A: Oh my gosh (laughs). Maybe art, I draw pretty well.
Q: Who would you collaborate with in Zimbabwe?
A: I have already worked with Hillzy. I would love to work with Anita Jackson and Tamy Moyo. There are a lot of artistes I want to work with, it’s just a matter of finding a common ground in studio and a song is made.
Q: Where are you celebrated more; SA or Zim and how do you handle fame?
A: In South Africa it’s definitely crazy. I feel like it’s because in South Africa people idolise celebrities, they look up to them and it’s different from what happens in Zimbabwe. It’s a whole different reaction because in SA fans lose their minds; crying and screaming.
Q: How has been the adjustment, from being an upcoming artiste to being a celebrated top artiste overnight? How was that transition and do you miss your privacy?
A: I would say I somewhat still have my privacy, I was never really outgoing, and my life isn’t really out there. The transition took me a minute because I still thought I could go to the mall, then one day it was just a flash and I couldn’t go to the mall alone, I had to wear a mask to hide.
I took it day by day because generally I was always a shy person, always in my shell and having to have that type of fame was a lot for me, but my family and my spirituality helped me to adjust properly into that situation.
Q: Did you always know that with your type of music SA would be a better market?
A: Yes, definitely! We started here in 2014, I was with Audius Mtawarira and Kush and we started here in Zimbabwe for three to four years, then it was a deliberate plan that we would move to SA to start growing and see what we could do abroad. We crossed over and collaborated with producers because that was our main plan. Then it just took off from there.
Q: So what’s next?
A: I have a single that’s coming out pretty soon, I’m not giving out dates, my album is also coming out soon.
Q: Love life?
A: (laughs) I don’t know how many times I have been asked that question. I am single by choice. I feel like I’d have to be with someone who actually understands this industry so I avoid unnecessary drama.