VOA标准英语2012--South African Newcomer Wins Multiple Music Awards

 

South African Newcomer Wins Multiple Music Awards

Bulelwa Mkutukana, better known as Zahara, released her first album titled Loliwe, or “The Train,” towards the end of 2011. To date it has sold over 300, 000 copies making her one of South Africa’s biggest selling artists.

At this year’s South African Music Awards she walked away with six awards including Female Artist of the year, Best-Selling Album, Best Smooth Urban Music Album and Newcomer of the Year.

“That’s big, that’s God, “ she said, “for a young girl like me from the rural areas to come into South African music and break the South African music records.”

Zahara comes from the informal settlement of Phumlani, on the outskirts¹ of East London in South Africa and started her singing career as a lead singer in her local church. She says most of her songs were written to inspire her community and she adds that she never received any formal music training. She inherited her first guitar from her older sister who was studying music at university.

"I taught myself without notes, without cords,” he explained. “ I would just listen to sounds, watch live DVDs and watch intensively where the guys were placing their fingers when they play. So I’m slowly getting there, I still don’t know all the cords, but I do play though!”

Two months after releasing her debut² album, Loliwe, last year she was invited by the former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, for a private performance at his Qunu home.

“Let me say what he said when I went to perform for him, she explained. “I’ll said in Xhosa ‘Mntanam, ndifuna undishiyele esosiginci apho!,’ or ‘You must leave your guitar with me!’ ”

Zahara has no plans to release another album this year but will be recording³ a live DVD at Carnival⁴ City in Johannesburg in June. Thereafter she is set to go on tour across the country and overseas.

1 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

2 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

3 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

4 carnival   

n.嘉年华会，狂欢，狂欢节，巡回表演

参考例句：

• I got some good shots of the carnival.我有几个狂欢节的精彩镜头。
• Our street puts on a carnival every year.我们街的居民每年举行一次嘉年华会。