Dorothy Masuka
Encyclopedia
Dorothy Masuka is a jazz singer who was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe in 1935, then called Southern Rhodesia. She was the fourth of seven children and her mother was Zulu while her father was a Zambia
n hotel chef
. Still, she attended a Catholic school
deemed good by the standards of education allowed blacks. Her family moved to South Africa
when she was twelve due to her health. By the time she was nineteen she was touring in South Africa with singers she had admired as a girl.
Masuka's music was popular in South Africa throughout the 1950s, but when her songs became more serious, the government began questioning her. Her song "Dr. Malan," mentioning difficult laws, was banned and in 1961 she sang a song for Patrice Lumumba
which led to her exile. This exile lasted thirty-one years in total. Many of her songs are in the Ndebele language
or Sindebele languages.
In August 2011, Dorothy Masuka and Mfundi Vundla, creator of the popular South African soap opera Generations
, confirmed plans to make a film of Masuka's life. The film would concentrate on the years 1952 to 1957.
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
n hotel chef
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
. Still, she attended a Catholic school
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
deemed good by the standards of education allowed blacks. Her family moved to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
when she was twelve due to her health. By the time she was nineteen she was touring in South Africa with singers she had admired as a girl.
Masuka's music was popular in South Africa throughout the 1950s, but when her songs became more serious, the government began questioning her. Her song "Dr. Malan," mentioning difficult laws, was banned and in 1961 she sang a song for Patrice Lumumba
Patrice Lumumba
Patrice Émery Lumumba was a Congolese independence leader and the first legally elected Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo after he helped win its independence from Belgium in June 1960. Only ten weeks later, Lumumba's government was deposed in a coup during the Congo Crisis...
which led to her exile. This exile lasted thirty-one years in total. Many of her songs are in the Ndebele language
Ndebele language
There are at least two languages commonly called Ndebele:*The Northern Ndebele language, a Nguni language spoken in Zimbabwe*The Southern Ndebele language, classified as Nguni language or Sotho–Tswana language, spoken in South Africa, heavily influenced by surrounding Sotho–Tswana languages and...
or Sindebele languages.
In August 2011, Dorothy Masuka and Mfundi Vundla, creator of the popular South African soap opera Generations
Generations (South African TV series)
Generations is a South African soap opera which airs on SABC 1 since 1994. It is the longest running soap opera in South Africa television, after popular mnet soapie Egoli, being on air for over 15 years. It was created and produced by South Africa TV production legend Mfundi Vundla...
, confirmed plans to make a film of Masuka's life. The film would concentrate on the years 1952 to 1957.