Zahara released an award winning album 'Loliwe'

Debuting last year with the album Loliwe, Zahara has metamorphosed into an overnight sensation – the kind that intrigue and fascinates the people who dance to, and patronize her music.

It is suggested that her first album sold out 72 hours after release. The story is also told of how within 13 days it (Loliwe) went platinum “and after 17 days it went double platinum, selling more than 100,000 copies” in South Africa alone.

The East London, Eastern Cape, girl, who has won multiple awards and nominated severally, is just about taking off a career that will surely sky-rocket into something almost endless and evergreen.

Largely seen as an “Afrosoul” act, the kind that can be said of the likes of Nigeria’s Asa and Ghana’s Efya, Zahara’s ability to effectively sing in her native Xhosa language as well as the universal English language, has aided what has so far been a smooth transition from the root of a fledging career straight to the top.

Afro-Soul features a carefully-knitted blend of neo-soul (performed by the likes of Indie-Arie and Erykah Badu), and Afro-Pop laced with elements of rock that also infuses the traditional South African Xhosa rhythm with regular chants of reggae and blues.

This style has almost gone unmatched, thanks to her flawless talent, which continues to wow the world.

Africa Unplugged surely came in handy as a unique platform for her to once more, tell the Zahara story.

So how does the Zahara story go?

“Zahara’s journey to the music industry started when TS Records executive and co-founder TK Nciza discovered her in 2009. She was performing at a gig in the Eastern Cape and TK noticed the talent,” a profile on TS Records’ website read.

“TK saw me and spoke to me. He said he wanted to record me and I was happy. But when he came back with Nhlanhla Nciza (his wife) a week later, I saw how serious they were. They then took me to Joburg and I’ve been staying with them in their house since 2009”.

“I grew up with my parents and five siblings in a two-roomed shack, and we were not always able to make ends meet. But the one thing that was prevalent in our home was God's love. Today I am where I am by the Grace of God and not giving up on my dreams,” she is said to have told Parable Magazine.