'I'm not Masuka, I'm Masuku,' says Auntie Dot

While Zimbabweans and others the world over have known and called her Dorothy Masuka, the legendary musician said people were getting her surname wrong.

On Thursday, the jazz singer who was celebrating her 80th birthday told guests attending a dinner hosted on her behalf by the Harare Jazz Festival and Dr Solomon Guramatunhu in Harare that she was setting the record straight concerning her surname.

"I am not Masuka, but Masuku. I want to make this clear as people have over the years misspelt my surname. And it is the people in Bulawayo who christened me Masuka, but that is not correct," said Masuku.

During the National Arts Merit Awards ceremony in Bulawayo in 2014 where the legendary jazz singer was guest of honour, she also raised the same issue and urged the media to spell her surname correctly.

Masuku said while people were also confused about her citizenship, she wanted to clear the air.

"I am Zimbabwean because I was born here, although my father is Zambian and mother South African. I lived in Mbare as a child. But I am bigger than that and I believe I am more of an African woman representative of the whole continent."

She jokingly said every time she passed through Zimbabwean immigration officers they are always asking her; "How long do you want to stay here?"

"But I always laugh and ask back, 'How many days do you want me to stay?' At which most times the officers would then start whispering to each other; "Don't you know her - that is Auntie Dot!"

During the birthday dinner Masuku's friends and associates retraced the years they worked with the jazz singer.

Among those who vividly remembered Masuku's early music was Dr Gibson Mandishora who described the singer as a role model for the entire African continent.

Others included musician Oliver Mtukudzi, Fred Zindi and National Arts Council of Zimbabwe director Elvas Mari.