Long before she became known for her soulful voice and Afro-Jazz hits, Zambian singer Jemimah Lerato Chuulu, popularly known as Scarlet, had dreams of becoming a lawyer. But music took her in a different direction. In this interview, first published by the Bulletin & Record in November 2025, Scarlet shared five surprising things about her life, ambitions and musical journey. MakanDay Weekly revisits the conversation as part of its Bulletin & Record Archives series.
The Scarlet lady with 5 surprises
Jemimah Lerato Chuulu, otherwise known as Scarlet, is a Soul and Afro-Jazz Zambian singer responsible for hits such as “Munisungile Banja” as well as “Ni Pempa”. Her first studio album, Unforgettably Yours was released in 2012. She is currently working on her sophomore album, Iyashi.
She won the 2012 Born and Bred Best Upcoming Artist award. She was also nominated for the 2012 Born and Bred Best R&B Song award as well as the 2012 Ngoma award for Most Promising Upcoming Performer. She was the only woman among the artists who performed at the Stanbic Jazz festival last month.
Thandie Msimuko sat down for a chat to get an idea of just what it is that makes this talent tick, and Scarlet came up with five surprises.
She never dreamt of becoming a musician. Instead, growing up, she dreamt of becoming a lawyer. “I wanted to wear suits and I wanted to drive really expensive cars. I thought I’d be a brilliant lawyer because I talk a lot and can out-argue anyone – [this was] especially when I was younger. Now I’m a lot more tolerant; am more accepting of other people’s opinions and probably get pushed around a lot more.”
She is a great cook – so much so that she owns a catering company and prepares the meals herself. “The catering company is called Jam Catering and I do fancy food. I’m not a chef by profession but I do fancy home-cooked food. So, it’s like, when you go to your grandma’s house and you have Sunday dinner and it’s really good. That’s what you get when you get me.”
She likes to keep busy. When asked whether or not she intends to focus exclusively on her music going forward, Scarlet responds, “I actually hate having to focus on just one thing. There’s a lot I would like to do: I love beauty so having a cosmetics line would be nice; I also love fashion and would love to open a store one day. I’d also like to do lifestyle television. So, music is like my annoying husband that I can’t live without and everything else is the kids and the boyfriend.”
She enjoys the process of making music more than the outcome because “even though the song may be great, once it’s out, it’s not my thing anymore, it’s yours. It becomes yours to judge, to like; it’s yours to consume, to hate. It stops being mine. But the process is all mine because you don’t know anything about it while I’m doing it. So, while I’m at it, I’m digging deep, and I’m singing really hard, and I’m tearing my throat, or fighting with the producer – it’s a labour of love and it’s all mine!”
She is part of Imoshi – a project comprising 15 artists from Southern Africa. It was formed to address, through music, issues related to natural disasters and the preservation of the ecosystem faced by people in the southern African region. The group of musicians was enlisted to perform at the SADC heads of state meeting in Botswana and she considers that the highest point of her career to date.
“We were two metres away from Robert Mugabe, King Mswati, our own president Edgar Lungu. It was amazing! We didn’t talk to them or go to any dinners or anything but just being in the same room as them and being able to sing with these amazing musicians who’ve been in the game for, like, 100 years like Siphokadzi from South Africa…For me to be given that opportunity; to be considered good enough to go and be in that room – I’m still mind-blown.”
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