ULeleti Khumalo wazalwa ngo-1970 elokishini laKwaMashu, enyakatho yeTheku, eNingizimu Afrika umlingisi ongumZulu waseNingizimu Afrika owadlala indawo yomlingisi ohamba phambili emhdlalweni we-Sarafina! eceleni kuka Whoopi Goldberg. Ekhombisa intshisekelo yokunandisa ebincaneni bakhe, uLeleti wajoyina iqembu lomdanso osemusha elalibizwa ngokuthi i-Amajika, elalifundiswa nguTu Nokwe.
I-Sarafina!
Ngo-1985, wenza inhlolokhono yomculo kaMbongeni Ngema, okwathi kamuva waba yi-blockbuster yamazwe omhlaba uSarafina !, uNgema wabhala umlingisi ophambili we-Sarafina kakhulukazi enzela aMakhumalo. Njengamanje ushade noMbongeni Ngema. Kodwa kube namahemuhemu okuthi ubezibandakanya nabesifazane abehlukene, okubalwa kubo uBrenda Fassie ongasekho.
ULeleti udlale indawo ka-Sarafina ezigabeni zaseNingizimu Afrika naku-Broadway, lapho athola khona ukuqokelwa i-Tony Award ngo-1988 kwi-Best Actress in a Musical. Sarafina! ube ne-Broadway run ethathe iminyaka emibili, ngemuva kwalokho waqala uhambo lomhlaba wonke. Ngo-1987 uMaKhumalo wathola i-NAACP Image Award ye-Best Stage Actress.
Ngo-1992, walingisa eduze noWhoopi Goldberg, uMiriam Makeba noJohn Kani nohlelo lwefilimu i-Darrell James Roodt’s ethi ayifane ne-Sarafina!, eyayisatshalaliswa umhlaba wonke, futhi yaba ifilimu eyakhiqizwa kakhulu kunawo wonke ezwenikazi lase-Afrika. ULeleti waphinde waqokelwa i-Image Award, ehambisana no-Angela Bassett, Whoopi Goldberg noJanet Jackson.
Ngo-1976 yavula intsha yaseSoweto amehlo iSarafina! ixoxa indaba ngentombazanyana yesikole engesabi ukulwela amalungelo ayo futhi igqugquzela ontanga bayo ukuba bavuke bebhikishe, ikakhulukazi ngemuva kokuboshwa kukathisha wakhe owayekhuthaza, uMary Masombuka (Goldberg).
Ngo-1993, uMaKhumalo wakhipha i-albhamu yakhe yokuqala ethi, Leleti and the Sarafina.
I-Sarafina! yakhishwa kabusha eNingizimu Afrika ngomhlaka-16 Juni 2006 yaba isikhumbuzo seminyaka engu-30 entsheni yaseSoweto. Indlela umqondisi wayo ayenza ngayo ingehlukile kakhulu kuneyokuqala.
uLeleti Khumalo
Izindima Azidlala
Uphinde walingisa emdlalweni womculo waphesheya kwezilwandle kaMbongeni Ngema ku-Magic ngo-4 ekuseni owawunikelwe ku-Muhammad Ali. Ubuye walingisa komunye umculo kaNgema i-Mama ka-1996, owavakashela i-Europe ne-Australia. Ngo-1997, waphinde wadlala ku-Sarafina 2.
ULeleti ube isihlabani emamuvini ango-2004 i-Hotel Rwanda kanye ne-Yesterday lapho aqokelwa khona i-Academy Award ngo-2005 ngaphansi kwe-“Best Foreign Language Film”. I-Yesterday yaphinde yathola i-Best Film award e-India’s Pune International Film Festival futhi yaba nesasa ku-Venice kanye ne-Toronto International Film Festivals.
UMaKhumalo ujoyine abalingisi bomdlalo owuchungechunge osudonse isikhathi eside eNingizimu Afrika, i-Generations ngo-2005 endlala indawo kaBusiswe (Busi) Dlomo, owesifazane wekhethelo ongazwani nento ebheke eceleni ozakhele umlando wokushicilela, ozinze eKapa. Wayedlala indawo yokuba udadewabo kaSibusiso Dlomo omncaneSibusiso Dlomo – wayebenzisa ubuhlakani nokuqonda kwakhe ukuze afinyelele phezulu ukuphatha inkampani yezokuxhumana ephezulu – i-Ezweni – ayeyiqhuba nomfowabo nomsunguli wayo uKarabo Moroka.
Uke wadlala kumabhayisikobho amaningi aphesheya kwezilwandle afana ne- “Cry, the Beloved Country” ngo-1995 edlala indawo kaRichard Harris noJames Earl Jones, “Hotel Rwanda”, “Yesterday”. UMaKhumalo ujoyine abalingisi bomdlalo owuchungechunge osudonse isikhathi eside eNingizimu Afrika, i-Generations ngo-2005 endlala indawo kaBusiswe (Busi) DlomoKule ndawo, kwisophi yakwa-SABC 1, i- “Generations” ne- “Koze Kuse” ebhalwe nguSello Maake Ka-Ncube. Ngo-2015 uMaKhumalo wajoyina uZalo wadlala indawo kaZandile “MaNzuza” Mdletshe. Lo mlingisi uphawule ngokuvela kwakhe okokuqala esikrinini ngemuva kokuma ikhefu iminyaka emibili ekulingiseni ukukhulisa izingane zakhe, njengamanje udlala indawo yaMaZulu kwi-Imbewu yakwa-e.tv.
Ngo-2015 uLeleti wamenyelwa esiQhingini sase-Zanzibar, e-Tanzania, njengesimenywa esikhulu emkhosi ewaziwayo wamafilimu ase-Afrika owaziwa nge-Zanzibar Festival, umugubho weminyaka engu-18 wasungulwa.
I-Filmography
- I-Faith’s Corner ngo-2005
- I-Hotel Rwanda ngo-2004
- I-Yesterday ngo-2004
- I-Cry, the Beloved Country ngo-1995
- I-Sarafina! ngo-1992