Hard times for songbird Zahara
We all remember Zahara as the darling of the airwaves, with each of her successive hit records selling like hot cakes. She has been hailed as Mzansi’s trendiest songbird whose songs and lyrics are on everybody’s lips.
The sad and familiar story told by once popular female singer Zahara about her life in the music industry and her falling on hard times mirrors the lives of other artists and musicians not only in South Africa, but the world over.
South Africa is replete with stories of how local musicians rose to fame and stardom, only to later die poor and broke. Their sad stories were narrated by others after their demise, but luckily for Zahara, she is so far, the only local musician to openly pour her heart out and speak out about her fall from grace into a life of booze, depression and self-blame.
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But in typical showbiz fashion, the young and beautiful lady of song has fallen on hard times. Her music career is not looking any better. In an interview carried by a national weekly tabloid, Zahara blamed herself for her ignorance and naivety and warned musicians not to fall into the same trap of letting other people take control of their lives.
Zahara should consider herself lucky to be telling her own story and naming those she believes ruined her career and exploited her financially.
She should, in fact, consider herself lucky to have a supportive family that is prepared to stand behind her and help her rebuild her career. Above all, she must also thank her Maker for giving her the courage and ability to stand on a media podium and lash out at those she believes have ruined her financially, physically and mentally.
Hundreds more who came before Zahara, many of them much older and a little longer on the local music scene, also found themselves in similar dire straits, especially towards the end of their career. The once celebrated names read like the country’s who’s who of local showbiz celebrities who once pulled crowds and filled music venues to capacity.
Just like Zahara’s laments, it was soon discovered that the people they had entrusted with their finances, and guiding their career, were in fact not doing what they had promised. In fact, for many, it was too late as their depleted finances were discovered only after their death.
Many newspaper articles have been written about musicians dying penniless and homeless, and some buried as paupers. The lesson in Zahara’s sad story should serve as a warning to many other starry-eyed budding artists who think the world of showbiz is all glitter and glamour.
It may be for some, but for the rest, it can also be a rough place of pain and tears that could lead to being buried as a pauper in an unmarked grave. As one reads Zahara’s story, one can only hope and pray that she has fully recovered and is ready to bounce back.
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Although those she accuses of destroying her career and finances have dismissed her allegations, the lanky female singer has vowed to drag them to a court of law to prove her case. All we can say is, may the law take its course.
It is quite obvious that the culture of corruption and bribery is now fully entrenched in our society’s psyche as a way of life.
Go to any place where any form of service is rendered, be it at your local grocery store where someone has to push your shopping trolley to your car at the parking lot, or at your local building supply store to have your goods loaded or delivered, at the end you always have to part with “something” for a “cold drink”.
Even the parking attendant at your local shopping centre expects you to “give him something for cold drink” for ushering you out of the parking space. The municipal chap who empties your rubbish bin every week also expects you to give some “cold drink” for doing what he is paid to do.
This reminds me of a story I heard recently about “small-time corruption” in our communities.
A photographer who was tasked with taking photos of young children during a school trip returned to school a day later with the bundle of photos in separate envelopes. “That will be R10 per photo for each child,” said the joyful photographer as he dropped the bundles of envelopes on the headmaster’s desk. “Give me a ring when the money is ready,” he said and walked out of the principal’s office.
The principal then immediately summoned all the class teachers to his office and handed each teacher a bundle of the photographs in envelopes. “Here are your students’ photos and please tell them each photo will cost R15 per child.”
On arrival in the class, the teacher handed each child a photo and stated: “Please make sure you bring your R20 for your photo tomorrow morning.” That night at home, the child hands the mother the photo and tells her the teacher wants each child to bring R25 for the photograph.
That night in their bedroom, the wife tells her husband that their child needs to pay R30 for the photo at school in the morning.
That’s what we’ve become in Mzansi. A nation of confidence tricksters.
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