Brenda Nokuzola Fassie, known in the Kenyan music scene with the stage name Brenda Fassi, was a very passionate female vocalist, songwriter, dancer, as well as an activist. She was an Afropop queen who signed under the label, CCP. She is affectionately called MaBrrr, by her loyal fans and sometimes referred to as the Queen of African Pop Music, The Madonna of the Townships or shortly The Black Madonna. To her fans she represents courageousness which contradicts her name “Nokuzola” which means calm, or peace.
Early Life and Musical Genesis
Brenda was born in Langa, Cape Town on November 3, 1964, and the youngest of nine children who lost their father when Brenda was two years old.
She started earning money by singing for tourists with the help of her mum who was a tourists.
In 1981, at the age of 16 she was visited by Henrick “Koloi” Lebona. As a result she left Cape Town fro Sowetu in order to pursue her career in singing . She first joined the group, Joy, and was a substitute for ome of the members who was on a maternity leave and later became a lead singer for one of the music groups, Brenda nad the Big Dudes and had a son with her fellow member.
She married Nhlanhla Mbambo in 1991 but it led to divorce as she became addicted to cocaine which also affected her music career.
She used her music to oppose the apartheid regi.me in South Africa and sang Black President, a tribute to Nelson Mandela, a political prisoner who later became the first Black president for South Africa.
Discography
- Brenda
- Ag Shame Lovey
- Weekend Spot
- Big Dudes
- Cool Spot
- Touch Somebody
- Higher And Higher
- Too Late For Mama
- Yo Babe
- Mama
- I Am Not A Bad Girl
- Black President
- Someone To Love
- Let’s Stick Together
Awards and Recognition
Brenda won five South African awards which consist of Best Female Artist, Song of the Year, Best Selling Release of the Decade, Lifetime Achievement Award and Best Song of the Decade. She also won three Kora Awards,; Most Promising Female Artist in Africa, the jury Special Artist in. She was voted 17th among the Greatest South Africans.
Cause of Death
She was said to have suffered for cardiac arrest resulting from her asthma attack according to the press, only to find out later that she had taken an overdose of cocaine which led to her collapse and her death according to the post mortem report.
Prior to her death, she was discovered in a hotel with the body of her female lover , Poppies Sihlahla, who had died of an apparent overdose. Fassie was rehabilitated and recovered and returned to her music career. However, she returned to the rehabilitation center as her drug issues resurfaced. She had been to the rehabilitation center about thirty times in her life.
She died at age 39 on 9 May, 2004 with her lover and son at her side on her departure.
In March 2006, a bronze sculpture of her was made by artist Angus Taylor which was installed outside Bassline, a.music venue in Johannesburg.
written by Ruth Ama Onumah
