Dorothy Masuka was an African Jazz musician of note, but also much more. During a long winding career of over fifty years, she entertained and inspired many with her innovative and very unique sound. She graced the covers of Drum and Zonk! magazines and became no longer ‘just a musician’ but also a cover girl, a leader of fashion and an icon of glamour and sophistication. Her story began in 1951 when the then sixteen year-old Zimbabwean girl recorded her own composition ‘Hamba Nontsokolo’ with Troubadour Records in Johannesburg, the song proved to be an instant hit and has since become a South African classic. She entered the world of the country’s top vocalists like Dolly Rathebe & Miriam Makeba. It was only a matter of time before she joined the great testing ground of African musical talent, Alf Herbert’s ‘African Jazz and Variety’ where she soon received top-billing.

MASUKA WAS A SINGER, A COMPOSER, A HEROINE, AND AN ARCHITECT OF THE DISCOURSE OF POPULAR AFRICAN LIBERATION MUSIC.