Before the spotlight shone bright on Zahara, she was just a village girl from East London, Eastern Cape known for her captivating voice reminiscent of the great Tracy Chapman.
Viral sensation Skomoto turned 21 in style by stealing the show at the 29th annual SA Music Awards (Samas) when Limpopo dance queen Makhadzi brought him as a surprise guest act during her high-octane closing performance on Saturday night.
Organisers of the Samas, Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA), have confirmed to Sowetan that the show will go on as planned on November 18 at SunBet Arena in Menlyn, Pretoria.
Managing public perceptions matters little to those in power in SA. The recent controversy involving the KwaZulu-Natal government and its pledge to fund the SA Music Awards is the latest demonstration of this.