Music sensation entices Tuku

Entertainment
SOUTH Africa’s Metro FM award winner for her debut album Conquering Spirit, Berita Khumalo, has recorded a song with Zimbabwe musician Oliver Mtukudzi, as her star continues to shine.

SOUTH Africa’s Metro FM award winner for her debut album Conquering Spirit, Berita Khumalo, has recorded a song with Zimbabwe musician Oliver Mtukudzi, as her star continues to shine.

Nduduzo Tshuma

Khumalo, who turns 22 today, is in Bulawayo for the next two weeks to visit family in Nketa 6 where she grew up and a big birthday party is on the cards for the music sensation at the weekend.

Khumalo visited the Southern Eye yesterday to break the news. “I was in the country on Thursday last week, but started in Harare where I was recording an album with Oliver Mtukudzi,” she said. “It was a wonderful experience because Mtukudzi is a father figure to me. He has made so much impact in his music career.”

Khumalo’s manager Luyolo Beku said the musician was linked with Mtukudzi by an agent based in Johannesburg, who initially wanted the songstress to do a collaboration with Alexio Kawara.

“We went to see him and after discussions, we told him that Berita would also love to do a collaboration with Mtukudzi,” he said. “It was simple because the agent introduced us to Tuku’s manager Sam Mataure. We met in South Africa and arrangements were made.”

Khumalo, a final year Financial Information Systems student at a South African university, would not be drawn into revealing when her collaboration with Mtukudzi will be released, but said the duet with Alexio was likely to come first.

“What happened with Alexio is that after discussions, he sent me a disc of his music in South Africa, I liked the song and added my vocals,” she said. “The album is likely to be released this summer.” Beku said Khumalo was not working on any album, as they were trying to push her debut in Zimbabwe.

“She is popular in South Africa, but her music is not being distributed here, so we need to find way to market her album in Zimbabwe, so that she is known and people appreciate her work. Khumalo says she has been very lucky to work with some of the greats in the industry at the beginning of her music career.

“I have worked with Oskido and rubbed shoulders with Lira, Ringo Madlingozi and now Mtukudzi,” she said. “It is a great honour for me. They have showed so much support for me now I am happy that they take my music seriously.”

Khumalo went to Nketa and Greenfield Primary schools before enrolling at John Tallach, Girls’ College and Premier High School for secondary and tertiary education.

She said she was in love with her guitar that she shares the bed with it.

“When I wake up in the middle of the night and think of a rhythm, I play it and record the notes. It does not matter what time of day or night,” Khumalo said.

Asked on her memories of Bulawayo, Khumalo says there are five places that will remain in her heart, namely Sekusile shopping centre, Bellevue, the Bulawayo Centenary Park, Brass Monkey and Queens Sports Club.