Zahara jets-in, excited to be in Malawi
South African singer Zahara arrived in the country Friday afternoon ahead of the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz Concert at the Presidential Hotel in Lilongwe on Saturday night.
Her arrival settles down fears among Malawians, who were worried if the ‘Loliwe’ songstress was really coming, after she reportedly missed her flight which was scheduled to land at Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe at 02:45pm from Johannesburg.
However, the 24-year-old gifted vocalist and guitarist jetted in the country through Chileka International Airport in the commercial capital Blantyre around 4:00pm, before connecting to Lilongwe, together with her seven-member band.
Upon arrival, Zahara, born Bulelwa “Spinach” Mkutukana, said she was excited to be in The Warm Heart of Africa and that “Malawians should watch out for nothing but the best tomorrow”.
During the concert, organised to celebrate Standard Bank’s 42 years of operations in the country, Zahara is expected to share the stage with Malawi’s jazz maestro Wambali Mkandawire of ‘Zani Muwone’.
Zahara, also a songwriter and poet, started singing in her school’s choir at the age of six and at age nine, she was told to join the senior choir because of her strong voice.
The first issue of her debut album ‘Loliwe’ sold out within 72 hours and nineteen days later the album reached double platinum status in South Africa when it surpassed 100 000 sales.
The vocalist is second in such record time in South Africa, after Brenda Fassie whose Memeza sold 500 000 copies within weeks of release, according to Wikipedia.
She scooped eight awards at the recent South African Music Awards, among them, Album of the Year, Best Selling Album, Newcomer of the Year and Female Artist of the Year.
