Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday Life Reporter
TWO years ago, Sha Sha’s career seemed to be at a crossroads.
She, alongside former close collaborators DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small, had just missed the Victoria Falls Carnival and countrymen had seemingly turned against her because of the snub.
While they could excuse the Scorpion Kings’ no-show, many could not look past the fact that Sha Sha had seemingly short-changed what was then one of the biggest attractions on the Zimbabwean entertainment calendar.
In addition, some at the time felt that the lady who, alongside Samthing Soweto, had given voice to amapiano in its infancy was no longer as influential as she once was.
Young vocalists were now emerging and with a string of hits under their belts, it seemed as if Sha Sha’s crown as the queen of amapiano was finally slipping.
Sha Sha
Her relationship with long-time collaborators, Maphorisa and Kabza, appeared to be damaged, with no sign of the super producers in any of her new work. Her combination with the Scorpion Kings had been a fruitful one, having won a Sama for Record of the Year in 2020 for Akulaleki. She had also received Sama nominations for Best Collaboration for the runaway hits Love You Tonight and Tender Love and became the first, and so far only, Zimbabwean artiste to win a BET award.
Some felt that Kabza’s touch was missing from her later music but there seemed to be no path toward reconciliation, amid rumours that she had fallen out with Maphorisa.
It was a time of great change for Sha Sha, who dumped her management team, Khaya Defero Media House, and joined Black Major.
Two years later Sha Sha is back. Last week, she released the single Ndawana, on which she collaborates with producer Kelvin Momo, a man regarded by many to be the closest competition to Kabza. If the single is anything to go by, then Sha Sha has not lost any of the vocal prowess that initially propelled her towards superstardom.
Questions still linger, however. Neither she nor the Scorpion Kings have shed light on why they stopped working together, even though they had seemed to share such undeniable chemistry in the studio.
Oliver Mtukudzi
The fact that she worked with Momo on her single, a man who recently instigated legal action against Kabza has also raised some eyebrows. Recently, Maphorisa has also had a falling out with multiple vocalists, including Samthing Soweto and Sir Trill, who allege that he exploits young musicians for his own gain. Some wonder if that was the case with Sha Sha, who seemed to have severed all ties with her past collaborators.
In an interview with Sunday World, Sha Sha said she had to grow a thick skin over the last few years to cope with the pressures of stardom.
“I have always been grounded, which I believe is the most important thing. When it comes to this industry, you need to know what you want. You have to have a proper headstrong . . . and then understand that in this industry, it is not for the faint-hearted. You have to be strong, you have to fight, and you have to literally stand your ground,” said Shasha.
While some might have questioned the reasons behind her silence, Sha Sha said she had used that time for personal growth.
“I believe that the time I’ve had with myself has helped me connect more deeply, to fall in love with who I am, and to bring that into my work . . . My time away allowed me to become more intentional with my music. I don’t like to be boxed in. I’ve always dabbled in different genres. We live in a world where everyone is chasing trends, but I wanted to focus on showing who I truly am. It’s a process that takes time. I needed to learn more about myself and unlearn certain things to become my best self and the best artist I can be,” she said.
As for working with Momo, Sha Sha revealed that this was a collaboration she wanted to see happen.
Nkosazana Daughter
“We’ve been wanting to work together for a while. Last year, I was going crazy over Kelvin’s album, so I called him up, and we agreed we needed to collaborate. That’s when I met Sykes in the studio, and the chemistry was just perfect. It made the music-making process so much easier,” she explained.
Like in her past songs, Sha Sha does not shy away from the use of ChiShona on Ndawana, singing most of her vocals in her native tongue.
While some might be afraid of embracing their heritage and culture in a foreign land, Sha Sha said that her mother tongue was an essential part of her identity as a musician.
She also highlighted the fact that past Zimbabwean musicians, like the late great Oliver Mtukudzi, still served as her great inspirations.
“It’s part of who I am. I’m Shona from Zimbabwe, and if you listen to the record, I tapped into the Oliver Mtukudzi sound. The ad-libs and the guitar were very intentional, I wanted to bring that part of myself into my work,” she said.
While some might think that Sha Sha is in competition with young female vocalists that have emerged recently, Sha Sha said she was eager to collaborate with them instead.
“I have always loved females, and I am looking forward to working with more. I am such a fan of Nkosazana Daughter and would love to work with her. I love her voice; it is beautiful.”