Mixing Mtukudzi, Mapfumo with amapiano . . . Sha Sha on new album and influences Season of birthing new things
SONGBIRD Sha Sha, whose new album I’m Alive is climbing the charts after its release on Friday, said an upbringing during which the likes of Oliver Mtukudzi and Thomas Mapfumo were staples in her home has helped shape up her career in the amapiano genre.
Sha Sha released I’m Alive, her first project since 2019’s breakthrough Blossom EP, which was released while she was still under the tutelage of then mentor Maphorisa.
While Sha Sha now dabbles in other genres, which was perfectly captured in her latest album, she is still rightfully regarded as one of the preeminent voices in her genre which she helped fire to the top with her immaculate vocals.
In an interview, the songbird revealed that listening and taking lessons from the likes of Oliver Mtukudzi and Thomas Mapfumo helped her develop a unique style that enabled her to aim for the top.
“I grew up listening to Zimbabwean artistes like Oliver Mtukudzi and Thomas Mapfumo, so I have always been exposed to those types of sounds. Now, when I tap into amapiano, and when I create my own music, I bring in my Shona — my culture — because it represents where I have been. I have lived in Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa, and the exposure to these cultures are put into my songs. I like to play around with them and merge them into my music,” she said.
Sha Sha, who spent time under the wing of famed urban grooves musician Audius Mtawarira before Maphorisa stumbled on her, said the time she spent under his wing was crucial to her development as an artiste.
“When I look back at it, I actually see how badly it was needed because back then, I was such a shy person. I was really in my shell, I was an introvert, and I used to have such serious, crippling stage fright. Through the programme, I was introduced to Audius Mtawarira, a radio personality, who then became my mentor. I worked with them for a good four years, working on my energy and my presence — just getting the hang of being an artiste. I spent so many hours in the studio working that I even lost count. I spent time without dropping any music because we were working on finding my voice and coming out of my shell. It was a very important part of my career,” she said.
Despite the xenophobic sentiments sometimes prevalent in South Africa,
Sha Sha said she was yet to experience any discrimination in the music industry.
“Yet I haven’t felt any different as a
Zimbabwean in the music industry. I’m just a female in the industry, trying to push my work and trying to do what I want to do. I have been accepted with open arms, and people have treated me amazingly. The fans and the industry welcomed me as their own,” she said.
The songbird, who snatched a historic victory at the 2020 BET awards, said she only realised the honour of the achievement after a tour of her native country.
“It was so unexpected. At the time I had just dropped my Extended Play (EP, 2019’s Blossom) and was still working towards that type of recognition and success. So, when I heard I was nominated I could not believe it. I told my colleagues, “You must be joking”. I was so excited about the nomination, but I thought that’s where it would end because I didn’t think I would win it. Me? Win? That was a whole different level of joy and happiness. It was insane.”
“Isn’t it crazy to think about that? I remember after I won, people back home reached out to share how proud they were of me. And when I went back (to Zimbabwe) on tour, the love I received was just insane. It was a very beautiful moment,” she said.
While amapiano was not her first love, dabbled in various genres before she met Maphorisa fortuitously, Sha Sha said it been crucial in her development of the powerhouse the would of music now
having
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knows.
“I discovered (the genre) in late 2018. I had just met (producer) DJ Maphorisa, and he really has a gift of just knowing what is going to be big. He was already pumping the sound, s o when I listened to it I knew it was fire. It was just so crazy. I listened to it more and more, and it grew on me. Eventually, I knew I had to jump on this. It was exactly what I needed to be creating. When I look back at my career, I realise Amapiano was what I needed to grow and evolve as an artiste. This is the music that I
embraced as being Sha Sha,” she said.
GREETINGS beloved nation in the name of Jesus Christ. Ladies and gentlemen the subject of prayer can never be overemphasised in the life of a believer. A prayer that is of value is a prayer concerned about the will of God. Prayer involves abandoning our will for the will of God. Prayer involves taking back to God what he has said to us. So in other words whatever God tells us, it is a prayer point and whatever he reveals to us, it is also a prayer point.
Whether it is a vision or a prophetic word, it is a prayer point. Prayer will lead you to birth what God needs or is doing in your life, your family, your business, your ministry, your nation or nations of the world. The church is a spiritual womb on earth that births the purposes and promises of God. It is through prayer that we birth God’s will on earth. We do not just sit and wait for things to happen on their own. The Bible tells us in the book of Mark 4:3, 14, “Behold, a sower went out to sow” “The sower sows the word”.
The word of God is a seed that is released to the church and the church becomes pregnant to what it has conceived. So anytime you hear God speak directly to your spirit you would have conceived and therefore you would have to birth the purposes and plans of God in your life. God at some point comes and “overshadows us” with a prophetic word during intimate worship or his glory comes down and implants a seed of destiny and promise within you. The place of prayer is a place intimacy with God, it is a secret place of spiritual conception. So meaning when you hear things in the secret place, you become pregnant when God speaks. Then you get into a season of incubation and nurturing.
This is a trying season when you know that you have a dream, a purpose, a destiny from God, but you can see no visible fruit of it in your life. Ladies and gentlemen in order for us to birth things as believers, we need to get into the “birthing position” in this season of giving birth, a season of birthing new things. This is a season of posture or positioning ourselves to birth those seeds that we have been incubating. As believers we birth things in prayer because we are the birthing agents of the promises of God. In Exodus 1:16 the Bible tells us that the Hebrew women had a position they used, using a delivery stool which enabled them to give birth. This stool enabled the women to sit in a certain position that allowed them to give birth with ease.
It is so with us as believers, we need to get into the birthing position in order for us to push in prayer. The Bible tells us in 1 Kings 18:41-46 about the story of Elijah. In verse 41 Elijah heard a sound of heavy rains in the spirit, but there was no rain in the natural, but Elijah picked in the spirit that God wants to bring rain, after a severe drought. So meaning we have to be connected to God so that we pick in the spirit what God wants to birth or do through us. For some people God could be releasing new assignments, so you need to tune into God. Some people at times continue with old assignments because they don’t sense the shift in the wind. In verse 42 Elijah quickly went into the “birthing position” and started interceding. He did not give up during this birthing process. There was a shift from a season of severe drought to a season of abundant rain. This was a time of advancing into a new season. Elijah girded up his loins. So meaning in order for you to advance into your new season, it is time to gird up your loins. Elijah reached down and pulled up his robes so that nothing would hinder him in advancing into the new season of running with supernatural power and acceleration.
Ladies and gentlemen, a season of birthing cannot be treated the same as the season of incubating the seed, we cannot live the same in season of birthing as we did in season of incubating. We have to remove things from our lives that would hinder us from advancing into the new season. Maybe you’ve been in a place of delay, distraction, or even confusion. Maybe you have unrealised visions, dreams, missions, and purposes that have been placed inside of you. You may believe that it’s too late or the wrong time for the things God has been developing inside of you. Be encouraged and prepare for this season of new birth. Ladies and gentlemen, the light of God’s glory is shining on our situations!
We are about to experience sudden breakthroughs, signs, and wonders. Hearing and obeying God are keys to unlocking our prison doors. The Bible tells us in Acts 12:7-8 that “Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered.” It is now time to get up quickly, and get appropriately dressed. It’s time to be positioned for new birth under the leading of the Spirit of God into this new season ahead. If you are not born again, I would like to invite you to receive Jesus as your personal Lord and saviour, by believing in your heart and confessing with your mouth that he is your Lord and saviour, and you shall be saved. May God bless you all.
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