Singer Vuvu Kumalo has been a prominent figure on the Cape Town music scene.
Known for her command of the disco tracks such as Last Dance, she’s headlining at the Hugo Lambrecht Music Centre in Parow on November 24.
She has wowed audiences at Love Jazz Cruise, Jazz On The Rocks and shared a stage at GrandWest Casino with R&B and pop singer, Sybil.
We chatted to Kumalo about her upcoming concert, the music industry in Cape Town and what it takes to be successful in the industry.
Titled We Are Vuvu Kumalo Show, she came up with the idea of the show to give a stage to performers who otherwise wouldn’t get the chance to shine.
“I wanted to use people who never get a platform for the shows I normally perform at. So I thought it was time I have my own brand. And I just thought that no one had seen an independent concert of mine.”
While Kumalo is known as the Queen of Disco, for this concert she is planning on showing her softer side with more duets.
“It’s a softer and a more elegant side of me. Also, I’ll be doing a lot of duets which is something new I’ll be doing. Which I’ve never taken on because I’ve been so concerned about doing my own thing. So I’m taking myself out of the box.”
Out of all the songs she has covered, Kumalo’s favourite artist is Tina Turner.
“I’m a Tina Turner kinda girl. My shows are also based around my crush on Tina Turner. What you can expect from my upcoming show is thunder, performance, activity on stage and maybe a short skirt or two.”
Speaking on local artists she would love to work with, Kumalo mentioned The Voice season 2 winner Craig Lucas and SA Idols winner Paxton. “I would love to work with Craig Lukas, who I’ve known since before he entered The Voice. It would also be Paxton. I think it would very much be a Mariah Carey versus Tina Turner kind of situation. And definitely Lady Zamar.”
Being in the music industry can be challenging, and for new singers and musicians, it can be hard to break into the industry. Kumalo said the reason for this was because of there being so many talented singers.
“But the problem is that singers specifically don’t support each other. In her case, she has been lucky enough to have a good relationship with Salome and Karin Kortje. But this is not the case with most local artists, and very often people don’t respect each other’s craft.”
The We Are Vuvu Kumalo is on at the Hugo Lambrecht Music Centre in Parow on November 24. Tickets are R150. The show starts at 7pm.