When her career kicked off in 1985 Chaka Chaka started to tour Africa. Her first trip out of SA was to Lesotho, then Botswana and Kenya. Before long she became known as the Princess of Africa.

“Phil Hollis said to me ‘it looks like Africa loves you’. He added, ‘I want you to either be the queen or princess’. I chose princess,” she recounts.

it looks like Africa loves you
“In 1989 I went to Uganda and when I got to the airport people had placards. They told me ‘we love you and you are our princess’.”

In 1987, Chaka Chaka says she was making so much money that she decided to travel the world for a month. She visited the US and Europe. Chaka Chaka met Whitney Houston in Washington and Ray Phiri introduced her to Miriam Makeba in New York. Chaka Chaka and Makeba became good friends.

The one musician that Chaka Chaka had an interesting relationship with was Brenda Fassie. She says a lot of their animosity was exaggerated by the media.

“Brenda was Brenda, she was just that mad girl. But when Brenda was sober she was amazing,” she says.

Image: Veli Nhlapo
Her romantic life took a happy twist when Chaka Chaka was introduced to Mhinga by her sister, who is a nurse. At the time she was dating veteran musician Chicco Twala.

Chaka Chaka had a rash on her skin. Mhinga prescribed her medication and they became “good friends”. They married in October 1989.

“He [Mhinga] has never been that pushy guy that wants to go with you everywhere. He is 12 years older than me,” Chaka Chaka says. “He would just support me. People thought I was a gold digger and wanted his money since he is a doctor and I’m not educated.”

Chaka Chaka is a grandmother of two. Her battle for her masters inspired her to found the BVSM (Backing Vocalists and Session Musicians) awards in 2015. They shine the spotlight on backing vocalists and session musicians who have been cast aside for a long time. The latest edition of the awards took place last Sunday.

She has also tried her hand at acting with roles in Muvhango and Giyani: Land of Blood.