Nota Baloyi trolls his estranged wife Berita (Gugulethu Khumalo) on social media again. Since the singer confirmed their separation after two years of marriage, Baloyi has consistently talked hideously about her and their marriage.
The Podcast presenter blames his estranged wife for their separation and has demanded an apology.
Following weeks of getting nothing from the singer, Nota returned to Twitter to reveal that his wife desires a divorce.
He further trolled her by claiming she has a stunted development, as she behaves like a child.
 |
| Berita (Gugulethu Khumalo) |
Meanwhile, months ago, Berita revealed that she left her husband in other to be alive.
“I have been quiet because my safety has been a huge concern. This man is extremely irresponsible, reckless and unruly. He simply does not listen to anyone. I do not condone his actions. I cannot even begin to count the numerous times he has erred in his speech.”
“My one request is that Nhlamulo “Nota” Baloyi needs help with his mental health. I tried my best whilst I was in his life. I tried to also plead with his family about this. He is a really good man, sometimes he means well. He needs help. The day I decided to leave my marriage. Is the day I had to choose between being married and being alive,” she added.
Berita (Gugulethu Khumalo) - From Humble Beginnings to Big Stages
Gugulethu Khumalo (born 27 June 1991), best known by her stage name Berita, is a Zimbabwean-born singer, songwriter and music producer. She is a multi-award-winning Afro-Soul singer from Bulawayo. She rose to stardom at the age of 21 with her hit single Thandolwethu; which won her the Best African Pop Album award; at the 2013 Metro FM awards in South Africa.Since then she has gotten the nod from legends that include Oliver Mtukudzi, Yvonne Chaka Chaka and Hugh Masekela. At 28 she has three albums under her belt with a fourth; hot in its heels.
Berita’s journey with music began when she was a child, as a result of her love for the radio. She says that she fell in love with the local Zimbabwean music she heard on the radio while growing up. Her influences ranged from Oliver Mtukudzi, Chiwoniso Maraire Majaivane and Urban grooves to name a few. Having grown up in Bulawayo her holidays were punctuated with the likes of Brenda Fassie, Chaka Chaka, Lucky Dube and Bongo Muffin.
Eventually she graduated to international artists who would go on to also inspire her music style.
“When I was 16, I moved to New Zealand with my parents who found work as dairy farmers while my siblings and I studied. Around this time, I started listening to pop music by artists like Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran. On my dad’s off days; he would play music from Paul Simon, Bra Hugh Masekela Miriam Makeba and Thandiswa Mazwai. It is at his point that I discovered Afropop music.”“On my dad’s off days; he would play music from Paul Simon, Bra Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba, and Thandiswa Mazwai. It is at his point that I discovered Afropop music.”
When her first hit, Thandolwethu, became a success she was only in the second year of her university studies. Like more and more millennial artists she chose to stay in school despite her career taking off. She did this because of a promise she had made to herself and her parents.
“I believe that when you start something you should finish it off. I am the firstborn of five children, and I promised my parents that I would get an education first before I ventured into music. Therefore, I had to keep that promise. It also helps me now because initially, I was balancing being a student during the week and an artist during the weekend, now I’m balancing being a businesswoman and an artist.”
Yes, not only is she a graduate and a multi-award-winning artist but she is an entrepreneur as well. What is her business? Herself. After a few years under a record label, she decided to venture out and start her own record label and thus becoming an independent artist. She says that this was inspired by two things; firstly, she was inspired to own the rights to the music that she records, writes and produces. Secondly, she wanted to follow in the footsteps of the women in her family; that took the bold step of forging their own paths.
“My grandmother on my maternal side was widowed at the age of 24, and she had four children at that stage. I can’t imagine how difficult that was for her. I look at myself now at 28 and I don’t even own a pet let alone have a whole family to take care of. She decided to start a vegetable garden in order to fend for her family. I don’t know of many women in the 60s who decided to be entrepreneurs and managed to provide for their children. My grandmother on my dad’s side was a domestic worker who supplemented her income by sewing and selling clothes in her neighbourhood. Although I never got to meet her, I hear she was a fierce woman. That is why after releasing 3 albums I decided that I wanted to take ownership of my brand just like my grandmothers, that is why I named my company after the both of them. My grans may not have been big powerful entrepreneurs, but they were independent and bold enough to take charge of their lives and chase after what they wanted.”
“…My grans may not have been big powerful entrepreneurs, but they were independent and bold enough to take charge of their lives and chase after what they wanted.” – Berita
Of course, entrepreneurship is not all sunshine and roses for anyone let alone an independent artist. She says that what keeps her going is the knowledge that this is a legacy for her grandmothers and the people that work for her. She must work hard because she knows that her team must put food on the table and take care of their families.
A lot of people probably wonder why the star sings her songs in the isiXhosa language when she is isiNdebele speaking. She attributes this to the university that she went to, which was in a predominantly Xhosa region. Thus, her first audience was Xhosa speaking and she wanted to be relatable to them, and it worked.
“I moved to South Africa for university because I grew up listening to so much South African music, I knew that if there was a place where I had shot at being successful it would there. I never consciously made the decision to sing in isiXhosa, I just happened to go to an isiXhosa speaking university and as such my first audience was isiXhosa speaking, I wanted to make music they could relate to. I also realized all Nguni people are one people so there is nothing wrong with me mixing my isiNdebele with isiXhosa because this represents who I am as an artist.”
A particularly interesting aspect of Berita’s career is the time that she spent with the late legend Oliver Mtukudzi.
“Ubaba uOliver Mtukudzi played a fatherly role in my life from the moment I released my first album.He invited me to Harare for my first big concert, sharing the stage with him and his late friend the legendary Hugh Masekela. I am the only artist to have a project with both of them. I am glad that through me they managed to complete a part of the project they had been working on. This project was an album that they didn’t manage to finish due to the unfortunate passing of ubaba uHugh Masekela. That song will now be a legacy for them as legends."
Looking back, a lot of people would change some things about the past, Berita is no different. She wishes she could affirm her younger self more.
“I think in the time of social media there is a lot of pressure to be doing well right now and not much of an appreciation of the time and hard work that comes with being a success. I would advise myself and other young women to not feel pressured by perceived overnight success, focus and work tirelessly to improve yourself day by day.”
.jpg "Sona Solar Zimbabwe")
.jpg "Sona Solar Zimbabwe")
