Cover story – Bulelwa ‘Zahara’ Mkutukana on her new look and upcoming wedding
Her rise to stardom reads like a fairytale. This year, slimmer and more confident, BULELWA ‘ZAHARA’ MKUTUKANA, 28, looks back at her phenomenal career as well as the new chapter that awaits her: being Amaza Ntshanga’s wife.
In just five years in the entertainment industry, Bulelwa Mkutukana’s star power compares to that of music icon Brenda Fassie. Zahara, as she’s popularly known, is the only artist after Mabrrr to have the fastest selling album in the history of South African music. Her debut album released in 2011, Loliwe, went gold in three days. More than 350 000 hard copies were sold in just four months. Her sophomore release Phendula and the current album, Country Girl – which was certified gold a day after it hit the shelves – also continue to top the charts. Who can forget back in 2012 when the singer won nine South African Music Awards (SAMAs) in one night, including Best Female Artist and Album of the Year?
In 2016, the musician laid the foundation for her new life – she’s spotting a new slick look with a slimmer body, and is engaged to Umhlobo Wenene DJ, Amaza Ntshanga. Clearly, 2017 will see a brand new side to Zahara. The singer has invited TRUE LOVE to her house for our interview. She feels it’s the right vibe for us to speak. She’s right; her home is tranquil, and offers spectacular views of Joburg. After a quick tour of the house, we settle down in her patio.
“I bought this house cash in 2012, and two weeks after moving in, I bought all the furniture cash too. That was six months after Loliwe blew up. I was only 24 years old. I had promised myself from the start that I’d get a house first; I wasn’t interested in flashy cars. Whatever happened, I knew I’d always have shelter. When I started out, I was living with TK and Nhlanhla Nciza, who discovered me while performing in East London. Before that, I had been living in a two-room shack with my five siblings and parents in Phumlani, a village outside East London. This house is a dream; it still feels surreal. Sometimes I walk around, just staring in awe. I was nobody before all of this; I had no money, bank account or fancy clothes. The house is a symbol of the beginning of my dreams manifesting,” says Zahara.
NEW YEAR, NEW ME
In 2016 we witnessed the 28-year-old embark on a weight loss journey. The long hours at the gym and clean eating have paid off. She’s wearing shorts and a loose fitting top on the day of our chat, an outfit she says she wouldn’t have been able to pull off or be confident in just a year ago.
“I’m from a rural background where being overweight isn’t considered an issue. Nobody ever commented on how I looked. No one cared, and I didn’t either. My fans didn’t mind that I wore the same hairstyle for five years. But I wasn’t happy when I looked at myself in the mirror. I’d look with envy and admiration at the likes of Idols SA judge Unathi Msengana, who’s older than me but looked much younger. To my fans, I was ‘sis’ Zahara’ even though I’m still in my 20s. That didn’t sit well with me. Emotionally, I was heavy too. So much was being written about me: reporters claimed that I’m an alcoholic, or that I’m broke, blah blah blah... Eventually, I decided to do something about it. I promised myself I’d no longer turn to food to make myself feel better. I cut out all junk food from my diet and didn’t eat meat for a month. After that, I started going to the gym. I realised after each session how amazing I felt and I got addicted to that mood of feeling light. I used gym as therapy, and the bonus is what you see now – a slimmer and confident Zahara. My skin started clearing up too, which I loved. I honestly feel like a different person now. I went down from a size 38 to 32. I’m aware of my beauty and feel comfortable in my own skin now. I gave all my big-girl clothes to my sisters,” reveals the singer.
“To maintain her new physique, she drinks lots of water and eats healthy foods. She’s also sporting shorter hair. The Loliwe singer says it was after having a dream about it that she decided to chop it off. “I think the universe could sense how much I wanted to be feel new, hence the dream. In it, I was in a stream of water and two birds came to hug me and as their wings unwrapped me, my hair was short. I woke up at 6am on a mission to cut it off. I told my assistant and my mother first. Both of them tried to stop me, worrying about what my fans would say. I didn’t care, I wanted it all off. I drove to a nearby salon and waited outside until they opened; they were also shocked and tried to stop me.
“I’ve proven to myself and the world that I can sing, write and that I’m a record breaker. With my new look, I needed to prove to myself that I’m worthy of being healthy and to feel great about myself. My fans don’t have to worry, I won’t be twerking or dressing scantly. I haven’t changed – I’m still the old Zahara who just looks different now,” she assures us.
THE LOVE OF MY LIFE
How does Amaza, her fiancé, feel about the weight loss? “He loves it! In fact, he didn’t mind the old me.” In 2015, Zahara set the media abuzz when it caught wind that she was engaged to her long-time boyfriend, Amaza. There’ve been countless stories that’ve emerged regarding the ilobolo negotiations and how much the Umhlobo Wenene DJ paid her family. Now, proudly wearing her gorgeous and unmissable engagement ring, she says he did indeed ask for her hand in marriage in 2015. She didn’t don the ring out of respect for her family as he hadn’t yet written a letter or brought his uncles to her house until recently November 2016.
The couple has actually been an item since 2011;
how they got to be together is an adorable tale, she divulges. In 2011, Zahara featured on DJ Sbu’s hit track, Lengoma. When the song gained popularity, Amaza announced on his radio show that if anyone knew Zahara, they must let her know that he wants to marry her. Word spread and even reached Facebook. The performer eventually saw the post. As fate would have it, she was set to perform at a Women’s Day event planned by Umhlobo Wenene soon after.
“Amaza is nine years older than me; the irony is he used to date my sister’s friend, who also stayed in Phumlani. He was a host on Radio Ciskei back then and one time when he came to visit her, he saw me on the street and asked me to go call her for him. I knew him and was so excited that a celebrity was talking to me. I never saw him again until that Women’s Day performance.”
Before long, Zahara was due for an interview on his show and that’s when the DJ insisted on getting her number. “I didn’t mention anything about him wanting to marry me and neither did he. It was so awkward and listeners kept calling in to find out if he’d propose on air. It’s when he walked me to the bathroom that he forced me to give him my numbers. We began chatting and that’s how the relationship started.” The star continues: “Amaza stays in Cape Town and so I’d visit him and he’d also come to Joburg to see me. We’ve never broken up and I knew within a month of us dating that I loved him. He’s kind and very supportive of my career goals. I know he adores me too; I see and feel his love. He’s my first real boyfriend. If it were up to him, we would have gotten married immediately but my career was picking up and I wanted to successfully build a solid foundation for myself before being someone’s wife.”
Unlike other celebrities, Zahara is private and guarded about her personal life. She didn’t make a big reveal on social media regarding the engagement and neither did she boast of how he proposed. In fact, she never speaks of Amaza, choosing instead to enjoy her relationship outside the spotlight. Even now, she hesitates when asked to reveal how he popped the question, saying it’s the silliest story anyone will ever hear. Eventually she spills the beans: “I laughed all the way through the proposal. Amaza is a typical Xhosa man and loves his traditional food, especially samp and beans, which I make for him all the time. He was visiting me from Cape Town. The previous night I had soaked the beans so they’d cook faster. In the morning when I was washing them, I felt something metal between them and when I looked at it, it was a ring. I turned around and found him on one knee staring at me. I said yes, obviously, while laughing my head off. Who thinks of that?” she says, still laughing and hiding her face. This will also be Amaza’s first marriage, she says. He’s got a nine-year-old daughter from a previous relationship. Zahara adores her and says she can’t wait to be a stepmom.
DATING A SUPERSTAR
It’s no secret that Zahara is one of the country’s biggest stars. She’s known by everyone and can’t walk the streets without people wanting to take a picture. She has 16 SAMAs and countless other awards decked out in her living area. Moreover, she’s independent and can buy herself whatever she wants. Men can find this intimidating. Does her man not feel the same? “I’m not at all about being 50/50. I respect my man and I agreed to be with him despite having my own,” she says. “When I’m with him, I cook and cater to him. I know my place as his woman and he knows his as my man. We have an understanding and it works for us. He’s not intimidated by my success. Instead, he’s always pushing me to be better and when I feel overwhelmed or just sick of it all, he’s always giving me prep talks. ‘Do you know who you are? Do you know how big you are? Do you know how strong you are? Do you know how powerful your name is?’ He tells me that regularly.”
Zahara admits she was worried that her family would ask for a high price for amalobolo – as a result of her status – and wanted to caution them to be lenient with him. He’s too proud, she says, and insisted she mustn’t meddle in cultural dealings. “There’s no power shift in our relationship because of my status and how much I have in the bank. I respect him as any other woman does with her man.”
Like all couples, they also have their ups and downs, says the singer. Because they are in a long distance relationship, she says some people have tried to break them up, and send her messages that he’s cheating on her or vice versa. “I’ve never paid attention to all of that or given it power by responding. How we run our relationship is based on love and knowing that he adores me and that I feel the same way. I’m aware of our Cinderalla story. I’ve always wanted to be just like my mom and sister who’ve only been with one man in their lives. I didn’t want to hop between relationships. Fortunately, God heard my prayers and I’m grateful for that.”
One of the biggest challenges to hit the couple were accusations that the singer was in rehab for alcohol addiction. “He feels too much for me and gets affected by the constant bad press I get. Allegedly I was in rehab not so long ago. That’s partly true. I was in hospital and bed-ridden for four days after a work trip in Malawi. I came back with a severe headache that wouldn’t go away and when I went to the hospital, doctors feared I had malaria. When the tests came back negative, they tested for other things including HIV and the very alcohol addiction I’ve been accused of, but all the tests came back negative. I have papers to prove it. They still haven’t diagnosed what was wrong with me. I was on antibiotics and a drip during my stay, and luckily I got better. It’s either one of the patients or staff members leaked that I was there and lied saying I was in rehab. Amaza was very hurt by the twisted story and he cried because he knew the pain I had been in and for the media to do that... it was just too much,” she reflects.
THE BIG DAY
Zahara won’t reveal the date of her nuptials but says the white wedding will definitely be in 2017. She confirms, however, that it’ll be in the Eastern Cape, and it will be a lavish affair. The DJ has been wanting to get married for a long time but she’s the one who’s been holding him back because of her busy schedule. He wants children as soon as possible after tying the knot, too. Is she willing to pause her career to be umakoti? “Definitely!” she shouts. The Country Girl singer says she’s extremely respectful of culture and traditions, and will follow entirely the duties required of her by her in-laws. She’ll even rock her makoti attire, she declares. “They’ve always understood my work and its demands and consequences. In the beginning I felt I needed
to explain myself to them after each tabloid story about me came out. I’d be embarrassed for Amaza and felt I needed to justify myself. I don’t anymore. They all know my character.” Once married, her man will move to Joburg, Zahara squeals in excitement. They’ll buy a new house and start new memories there. She’s excited to be marrying her best friend who knows everything about her. For downtime, the couple goes on baecations in areas outside Cape Town. They love picnics and going for swims.
OWNING MY POWER
“It took me a while to appreciate it but I realise my power now. I’m no longer shy of my talent; I hold my head high. I was ambassador for Nedbank and the face of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Home. A host of other brands wanted me to join them but I used to decline. I always felt they were too big for me. I don’t think like that anymore. My mind shifted during my weight loss. I think in re-discovering myself came the self-assurance. I struggled with fame at first; there were times when it depressed me. Realising that I suddenly had a life where people constantly watched me wasn’t an easy adjustment at all.
“But as I grow I’ve gotten wiser and learnt to accept all of this – even social memes about me. I’m a star that’s flying the South African flag high globally. I acknowledge, however, that my career and the strides I’ve taken won’t make front page news; instead, it’s my personal life that’s the intrigue. Few people know that in the beginning the team that discovered and made Madonna famous, wanted to sign me after hearing my song Lengoma. They wanted to change my image so I declined, I wasn’t ready for that.”
Zahara says she’s also opened her own record label Zahara Army, with her as the only artist there for now. She’s still, however, signed with TS Records and says she doesn’t mix the two labels. Under TS she releases her albums and as her management company, they get 20% from bookings. “I love TS I’ll never leave them; we have a family connection. TK took me in as a daughter from the start. I love him and Sbu despite rumours saying they chowed people’s money. That’s got nothing to do with me if it’s true. All I know is the money and things meant for me come to me.”
Since the beginning of the singer’s rise to fame, there’ve been rumours claiming she’s bankrupt or is being cheated off of her money by TS Records. She’s always rubbished them and continues to do so today too, insisting it’s impossible to be broke when you are an ambassador for a national bank. She also explains that in dealing with her money, she has a banker that Nedbank offered her through the ambassadorship that she still works with. Together, they sit and work out her finances. The institution also gives her a monthly salary for her; the rest goes to her savings. If she exceeds the monthly ‘salary’ she has to explain in detail why she needs the extra cash. “The only thing I’m horrible with is buying sneakers and guitars. I splurge on those a lot; I don’t go out often and prefer being indoors.” When I ask if she’s reached millionaire status, she laughs and looks away saying she’ll never say a word about her financial worth.
What about tabloids saying her friends call her house a bottle store? “I won’t act like a saint because I’m not one. There aren’t any pictures of me acting some type of way because I’m drunk and neither are there any of me passed out. This is my house and if I want to drink in my own space then I will. I party with my family, band or people only close to me. If they say I’m an alcoholic that’s on them. What I do behind these closed doors is my problem. If they call it a booze house then whatever. I’ll sip champagne if I want to. I don’t drink in public because I respect my fans. I’ll never lie and say I don’t drink, I do. I’m of age and I’m allowed to. I’ve never been on drugs either. I’m clean as a whistle. And that’s that.”
WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS
Zahara says she never thought she’d make it this big and is often taken aback by her fame. The young woman who’d busk in street corners in East London says the vision and aim for her music was meant to cheer up people. While in matric in 2007, her elder sister Lumka got a guitar that she never played. Zahara picked it up and taught herself how to use it. Little did she know that guitar would change her life forever. Now a world renowned singer, Zahara is in her own league and has no aspirations to be an ‘IT’ girl.
Going forward, the musician says she’s excited about a new venture she’s taken up called the Zahara Army creative and cultural road show, where she’ll be partnering with the department of arts and culture, incorporating monthly cultural activities spread across the country. The activities will include music, arts and crafts and fashion. This year she’ll also be touring and is set to work on a DVD and release a few singles. And of course, the biggest highlight to come this year is her glamourous wedding day, she confides beaming. We wonder which designer gown the artist will be wearing. 2017, Zahara is coming for you!