Chaka Chaka: A musician and social ambassador rolled into one

Yvonne Chaka Chaka is currently the ambassador for Unilever’s Lifebuoy soap campaign dubbed “Universal handwashing with soap,” an initiative to sensitise communities, especially children, to the importance of washing hands with soap to avoid contracting diseases related to poor hygiene.

She is nevertheless, best known for her catchy music that still rocks the continent. Fondly called the Princess of Africa, Chaka Chaka, born Ntombi Zodwa, has been at the forefront of South African popular music for 20 years.

Songs like, I’m Burning Up, Thank you Mister DJ, I Cry for Freedom, Makoti, Motherland, From Me to You, I’m Winning, Caught Breaking the Law, Let the Children Live and the ever-popular Umqombothi (African Beer) ensured Chaka Chaka’s stardom, the last being featured in the opening scene of the 2004 movie, Hotel Rwanda.

The EastAfrican recently caught up with Chaka Chaka at the Third Africa Conference on Hygiene and Sanitation dubbed AfricaSan3 held in Kigali, Rwanda on July 19.

The musician said she has been busy recording new music, to be released in her 22nd album, which should be ready for release this September.

She said she was aware that her fans were asking for new music from her, and she has been busy in the recording studio. She said the album will be available by Christmas.

The album will have 10 songs, among them Right to Live, Hearts on Fire and Well Organised Men.

“I am yet to give the album a name but I assure my fans it will be on sale by Christmas,” she said.

Chaka Chaka, a mother of four sons, said that she has never been away from music and has been composing and planning the forthcoming album.

She has visited East Africa several times in her new role as Unilever ambassador, and speaks fondly of western Kenya’s Kakamega County. She said soon after releasing her album in September she is planning to compose a song on Kakamega County, a place she said she has literally adopted.

She said, “I am coming to Kakamega town in September this year before I release my new album and while am here, I might start composing the song before going back.” She also promised to make sure that the video of the song is shot in Kakamega.

Chaka Chaka, an award winning African musician, has been Kakamega County in her campaign targeting the eradication of malaria, HIV and diarreahoea. She says she has become quite fond of the region and considers it her other home.

Passion

The 46 year-old Sowetan has in the recent past dedicated her life to bettering the lives of children on the continent through the activities of several non-governmental organisations.

And she says she has never forgotten her music and has produced a number of songs that are related to her campaigns involving children’s welfare and better sanitation.

Chaka Chaka’s contract with Unilever ends in March 2012, but she said, “I am ready to renew the contract if Unilever agrees but if things go otherwise, I will continue to fight for the betterment of African children through music.”

Following her successful campaign, on January 28, this year, two Kenyan companies, Unilever Kenya through its brand Lifebuoy and Ecotact Kenya, entered the Guinness Book of World Records for having the largest number of people washing their hands at a single venue.
They beat the record held by India’s Lifebuoy.

The two firms brought together 19,352 people to wash their hands with soap at Thirime Primary School in Kikuyu constituency, near Nairobi. Unilever India’s record was set in 2009 and featured 15,115 people.

Following the record breaking event, Kenya’s Ministry of Education was awarded a certificate during AfricaSan3 in Kigali, for supporting and implementing the handwashing campaign.

So far, Chaka Chaka says her contract with Unilever has been a big success adding that Unilever has achieved more for Africa than just corporate social responsibility.

The ever smiling Chaka Chaka is also the Goodwill Ambassador for Unicef, sensitising and campaigning in Africa to fight against and eradicate malaria.

Through her campaigns, she said Ethiopia, Zambia and Tanzania have managed to bring down child mortality and this is her biggest achievement so far.

“I have never quit my singing career. I have been concentrating much on songs related to clean water and sanitation for the betterment of our people,” she said minutes after she performed Bumbanani (Let us be one) a Zulu song advocating clean sanitation at the opening ceremony of AfriSan3 at the Serena Hotel, Kigali, attended by Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame.

Chaka Chaka, who started singing at the age of 19, said that she has been trying to change attitudes through music and says she won’t stop advocating for clean sanitation.

Her other social campaigns are the Millennium Development Goals Number Three Four, Five and Six.

Four is on clean sanitation; Five on HIV/Aids and TB while Six is about healthy women and child mortality.
“African leaders should focus more on what positive things have not been done instead of fighting for leadership,” she said as she praised Rwanda for being a good example to other African countries.

Background

Chaka Chaka came into the limelight in 1981 through Sugar Shack, a talent show that introduced her to the South African public, making her the first black child to appear on South African television.

Shortly after she released her debut album I’m in Love With a DJ, which sold 35,000 copies, and the title track became an instant hit on the continent.

Her father, who was a musician, died when she was 11 years old but throughout her illustrious career, she has met prominent people who have inspired her such as world icon and former freedom fighter and South African president Nelson Mandela, and more recently Queen Elizabeth of England.

She is married to Dr Mandlalele Mhinga, and together they own a limousine company. She also owns her own music label and production company.

In her spare time she teaches literacy at the University of South Africa, sits on several boards of charitable organisations and non governmental organisations and serves on the board of the Johannesburg Tourism Company.