South African-Canadian musician Zaki has been nominated for a Juno, shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize and celebrated for her songs which range from R&B to jazz. What does this have to do with The Wiz, the 1978 adaptation of The Wizard of Oz starring Michael Jackson and Diana Ross?

In this installment of our segment The X That Changed My Life, Zaki tells us about the impact the movie had on her, why it meant so much — and how many years it took her to find out that the Scarecrow was played by Michael Jackson.

You can check out Zaki when she performs at the CBC Music Festival this weekend, on Saturday, May 28 in Toronto. And follow her on Twitter or Facebook.