Bulelwa Mkutukana is a singer. She belongs from South Africa. Bulelwa is also known as Zahara. It is her stage name. This personality was born on 9th November 1987. Besides being a singer, she is also a songwriter. Bulelwa Mkutukana is her birth name. Her native place is East London on the south coast of South Africa. Currently, she is a 34-year-old lady. Her active year is from 2011 to the present year. Mkutukana’s music genre is Afro-soul.
Quick Biological facts to check out
Birth: 9 November 1987
Nationality: South African
Occupation: Singer, and songwriter
How are Bulelwa Mkutukana’s career and professional life?
Singer Mkutukana’s music was classified as Afro-soul. Mostly she performs in her native language named Xhosa. However, she sings in English as well. A mixed style of India Arie, as well as Tracy Chapman’s song, is there in Zahara’s music.
She started her career on the street of East London as an entertainer. Next singer Zahara was assigned to the step TS Records by TK Nciza.
Loliwe, her first debut album was released in 2011. The first copy was sold within 72 hours. Within the next 19 days, more than 1, 00,000 album copies were sold out. At that time in South Africa, she was reaching double platinum status. Zahara became the second musician next to Brenda Fassie.
In 2012, Mkutukana released her first ever live DVD The Beginning Live. She was featuring X-Factor USA participant LeRoy Bel. According to standards set by the Recording Industry of South Africa, that DVD also crossed platinum in a single day.
In 2013, Bulelwa released Phendula, her second studio album. In a similar year, she was invited by Nelson Mandela to sign in to a private concert. There Zahara composed the song, Nelson Mandela, to show honor to him as well as she released the same as an EP.
Next year, in East London, her younger brother was slaughtered. At that time she was going through mental depression. Although her recovery happened in 2015 with “Country Girl”.
Again in 2017 young singer signed with Warner Music South Africa. Next in 2017, on 13th October she revealed her fourth studio album named Mgodi. This studio album received gold within only six hours. Zahara wanted to support that album and for that, she embarked on Africa All Star Music Festival. She started visiting three places, which began with Toronto, followed with Canada on 17th August 2019, and ended with Washington DC on 24th August 2019.
Meanwhile, celebrity Zahara declared her fifth studio album on the Capetalk site. Next on 7th May 2021, her single lead album named Nyamezela has released. Then on 30th July, her second single album named Nqaba Tam again released. It was supposed to release by the 9th. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic as well as lockdown, it got delayed and was finally released on 30th July. Singer Zahara was there as a guest judge in a television debut named Idols South Africa season 17 in 2021 besides Dineo Ranaka. Unfortunately, in December 2021, Bulelwa vexed her first Amapiano single on social media platform called Twitter.
What is Bulelwa Mkutukana’s personal life like?
This popular singer was born in the Phumlani Informal Settlement, which is just outside of East London, South Africa. Since her childhood, she used to stay with her parents as well as her siblings. Her parents are Mlamli Mkutukana as well as Nokhaya. Bulelwa was the number six child of her severe siblings.
When Zahara was only six years old baby girl, began to sing with her school’s chorus. When she just turned nine years, because of her nice and strong voice, she was said to adjoin with a senior choir. “Blooming Flower” was her stage name. In Zahara’s childhood, she was famous for her nickname “Spinach”.
What are the honors and accolades received by Bulelwa Mkutukana?
Starting from 2011 Bulelwa was nominated for Metro FM Music Awards as Best Produced Album for her debut studio album named Loliwe. In a similar year for the same award, she was nominated as Best Newcomer. However, in 2011 only this singer received Metro FM Music Awards as a Best Female Album. She also won the same award for her studio album named Loliwe as Song of the Year. Then popular singer won Metro FM Music Awards as Hit Single of the Year for DJ Sbu featuring Bulelwa’s Lengoma. Next, her achievement in 2011 was Feather Awards as Musician.
Coming the next year 2012 Bulelwa Mkutukana received Kora Awards as a Best Female Artist from Southern Africa for her album Loliwe. Next, she won Channel O Music Video Awards as a Best Female Video. Moreover, in the very same year South African singer Zahara was honored by the 18th Annual South African Music Awards for her album named Loliwe. It had different categories like Best Smooth Urban Music Album, Best Selling Album, Newcomer of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best Selling Full-Track Download of the Year.
She was awarded the same award for Incwad’ Encane as a Best Collaboration as well as for Lengoma as a Remix of the Year. The last nomination for 2012 was The Headies as an African Artist of the Year for her album Loliwe.
Awarded as the Best singer Bulelwa, in 2013 also achieved so many awards like Nigeria Entertainment Awards as a Southern African Artist of the Year. Vocalist won the 19th Annual South African Music as a Best Collaboration for Thetha Nami. For her other collaboration named Hold On, she was nominated for Best Collaboration at the 19th Annual South African Music Awards. For a similar award, Mkutukana was nominated a Best Live DVD as well as MTN SAMA Record of the Year for The Beginning Live and Umthwalo respectively. Finally, she won a similar award for the different category called Best Selling Ring-Back-Tone.
2014 Zahara won African Muzik Magazine Awards as a Best Female Southern Africa. Next, in the same year, Bulelwa received another award named 20th Annual South African Music Awards as Best Selling Album as well as Female Artist of the Year.
She was nominated for her second music album named Phendula in 2014. The award name is 20th Annual South African Music Awards as Best RnB, Soul, and Reggae. Again in 2014, Mkutukana was nominated for the award named Metro FM Music Awards as a Best African Pop Album as well as Best Female Artist. In the same year, she was nominated for the same award for her second album, Phendula, as a Song of the Year.
Another nomination in 2017 for Best Afro Female Artist as well as Best Afro Album for Herself and Country Girl respectively. The award name is South African Afro Music Awards. The very next year her album Mgodi received the Next Generation Entertainment Awards as A Best Female Act.
In 2019 Mkutukana was nominated as Best EC National Recognised Artist for Herself with the Eastern Cape Music Awards.
Similarly, in 2020 for Herself singer won Africa Entertainment Awards USA 2020 as a Best Female Artist as well as was nominated as a Best Female Artist.