Khumalo finds her silver lining in 'Roots'

THERE is a silver lining in every dark cloud and award- winning singer Kelly Khumalo is testimony to this.

The 30-year-old was in Nelson Mandela Bay yesterday to promote her latest album, Back to My Roots.

The album includes Asine, a Venda song meaning "I did not kill my husband" which has been on the top of the charts for the past two weeks.

Asine was made famous when Khumalo uploaded an Instagram video of her late boyfriend, Senzo Meyiwa, the Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates captain who was gunned down during a robbery at Khumalo's Vosloorus home in October.

"Unfortunately, I can't talk about my personal life. I have been forbidden to do that by my recording company and people representing me," Khumalo said yesterday.

"However, we can talk about the album which is my latest release, Back to My Roots.

"I mean people only know me because of my music. If it was not for my music, I wouldn't be here.

"It is an eight-track album as compared with the normal 15 tracks. I worked with Chicco Twala and featured a group called MVL.

"This was a business decision as I did not see the need to record more songs only to have people listening to three or even one song."

Despite the tragedy, Khumalo said she was experiencing a beautiful moment in her life as South Africans were showing her love.

"On this album, I don't have to try very hard to be an African. The album reflects the African woman in me," she said.

The mother of two – she has a six-year-old son with musician Molemo "Jub Jub" Maarohanye, who is behind bars for killing four children when he smashed into them while street racing, and a one-year-old daughter with Meyiwa – has also been busy with other projects, including recording a song with 70 African artists for an Ebola campaign, and rejoining the cast of e.tv drama series, Rhythm City.

"As this is a busy season, I have also done an Arrive Alive campaign with some of the biggest names in the South African music industry.

"Our job is to tell motorists to drive cautiously and always be safe on South African roads," she said.

"This will be the busiest festive season for me as I am booked to perform in most of the festivals." - Yoliswa Sobuwa