The Sunday News
Mbongeni Msimanga Sunday Leisure Correspondent
FOR the past year and half, South African songstress — Kelly Khumalo — has been the subject of talk, raising eyebrows for her rather uncanny and wayward behaviour. Her eccentric affairs with jailed for culpable homicide rapper Jub Jub and the late Zimbabwean businessman Prosper Mkaiwa are all but minor issues that would concern her.
Her most prominent run with the media was her unconventional relationship with the late South African football star, Senzo Meyiwa who was gunned down in cold blood at her house last year.
Despite the grave aura surrounding Kelly, she has stood firmly, with her head above her shoulders.
Recently she declared that she had grown fond of Zimbabwean music, particularly that of legendary superstar Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi.
In an interview on SABC 2’s Afro Café recently she said: “Oliver Mtukudzi is one of the best musicians I know in Africa and he inspires a lot of young hearts to be like he is. He has done well in his music career and he will forever have an impact in my career too.”
During the hour-long show, Kelly also performed Mtukudzi’s 90s hit track Neria.
She said the song conveyed meanings that could strengthen and uplift women.
“I lost my mind and my soul and couldn’t find what makes me whole . . . then I found that women, as a whole could be strengthened by music. ‘Mtukudzi’s song Neria does the magic and conveys meanings that help uplift women in society,” she said.
The Asine hitmaker said she would love to collaborate with Tuku one day, declaring that the collaboration would be appreciated by many.
Kelly described Mtukudzi’s music as that which interpreted a traditional, emotional and musical journey.
“I would love to collaborate with Mtukudzi one day. I am sure our collaboration would be popular and appreciated by fans regionally and internationally. The truth is his music interprets a traditional, emotional and music journey that many artistes have failed to undertake,” she said.
Although Kelly’s musical life has been mired in controversy, her musical and artistic elegance has not fallen out of popularity among her fans.
Some of her fans tweeted:
“@Kelly Khumalo <https://twitter.com/Kelly_Khumalo> . . . damn, ur voice is soooooo out of this world. You’ve got a super solid voice #Neria,” she said on the Afro-Café page.
With over 60 albums to his name, Mtukudzi remains a cut above Zimbabwe’s musicians.
Mtukudzi’s career spans decades, having started in 1975.
