Celebrity – Berita

Multi-award winning singer, songwriter, guitarist and music producer, Gugulethu “Berita” Khumalo, 28, shares her past year wins and her five-year plan

One of my biggest career highlights was releasing songs through my record label, Assali Music, in 2019. That has always been my top priority. As for 2020, I’m excited to release my first full-length album through my label. I haven’t come up with the title yet. I’m also in the process of buying the master rights to my music from my previous record label for songs like Thandolwethu, meaning I’m going to be owning my songs. I entered the 2020 decade feeling very empowered. I wake up every day and do me because the ball is in my court.

I’ve never been employed by someone else — I’ve always worked for myself. But one horror story that comes to mind is that of a gig I once did. Because I play a guitar, there needs to be a microphone stand to hold up the microphone as I sing. However, when I got to this particular festival, they didn’t have a microphone stand for me. I think that’s because it was a festival with mostly DJs and rappers. I guess the festival organisers were trying to cut costs and decided not to get the microphone stand. The last time I was in such a situation was when I was still up-andcoming and I would have to get someone to hold the microphone for me while I sang. Back in the day, I would have wished to throw down a smoke bomb and disappear. However, now that I’m a bit older, I try to be mature about it. I’d like to release an international album in the next five years. In my personal life, I think I have met someone I could spend the rest of my life with, so I see marriage and kids. I think names, to some extent, affect the outcomes of people’s lives. The name given to me by my parents is Gugulethu, which means our pride and joy. I think I live up to my name. I think to my family, friends and loved ones, I’m their pride and joy. Also to my fans, ndili’gugu kubo.

The Destiny Child’s era will aways be special to me as it formed a big part of my childhood. It was around this same time that I discovered music. I also loved Brenda Fassie’s songs and

every December, there was always a hit from her.

I didn’t have a phone when I was growing up. I asked my mom for a phone when I was in high school, and she told me to get to university first before she could buy me one [chuckles]. That would seem strange to the kids of today.

I find social media to be the weirdest thing about modern life that we’ve accepted as normal. For you to have so much interest and access to information about another person’s life is ridiculous.

Back in the day, I would’ve said I wished I had the option of having multiple partners because it isn’t as frowned upon for men to have multiple women. Now that I’ve grown up, I see that it’s all about discipline. We all have an equal opportunity to be promiscuous, but you decide whether to do it or not. I just wish it wasn’t more frowned upon for women than men. I wish people could all realise that more than anything, it’s all about discipline and honouring the commitments you’ve made.

Twelve to 18 months ago, I broke up with my ex and also ended a very serious business partnership. Both relationships ended at almost the same time. When it happened, I couldn’t look at my ex-boyfriend and ex-business partner and blame them. I looked at myself and realised that when I entered both the personal and business relationships, I hadn’t placed value on myself. This then led to my biggest realisation that I was much stronger than I had given myself credit for in the past. From then on, I started to value myself more.

If I don’t agree with someone, I’m not the type to be passiveaggressive towards them. It would completely be out of character for me. I had a roommate once and I remember us parting ways harmoniously. If there was ever a time I wasn’t happy about something, I was the first to say let’s address it and try to find a solution.

I’m the queen of jokes. The most common misconception people have about me is that I’m not fun to be around because I don’t drink. And because I’m also an Afro-soul singer, some people tend to think I’m serious all the time. People don’t know that I’m the queen of jokes; the more awkward a situation is, the funnier I get. I’m just a romantic at heart who loves to laugh.

I try my best to plan and prepare for the future, especially my career. I have to keep myself in check and make sure my relationships with people I love are in order. I’d like to think I’m a moderate planner. But, with some things, I just let nature take its course.

People don’t know that I’m the queen of jokes; the more awkwarda situation is, the funnier I get. They see me as this serious person, when I’m just a romantic at heart who loves to laugh.