Zahara

Born Bulelwa Mkutukana in 1988 in Phumlani, outside East London, Zahara was a South African artist whose singing talents first came to people’s attention when she was in her school choir. She passed away on 11 December at a local hospital in Johannesburg.

Zahara (meaning "blooming flower") released her debut album Loliwe in 2011 which proved to be a massive success. It went platinum in 13 days, going on to selling over 100 000 copies in South Africa alone. In 2012, Zahara won no fewer than 8 Samas, including Best Female Artist and Album of the Year. The album was followed by a live DVD, The Beginning Live (2012) and the tribute EP, Nelson Mandela (2013).

Her much-anticipated full-length follow-up, Phendula, was released in September 2013, again to rave reviews and big sales. Besides her huge success at home, Zahara`s other awards include a Kora in 2012 and a Nigeria Entertainment Awards in 2013. She was also nominated for African Artists of the Year at the Hip Hop World Awards (aka The Headies).