Brenda Fassie-Qula

Brenda Fassie (November 3, 1964 -- May 9, 2004[1]), was a legendary South African pop singer widely considered a voice for disenfranchised blacks during apartheid. She was affectionately known as the Queen of African Pop and her nickname amongst fans was Mabrr. Brenda was born in Langa, Cape Town[2] as the youngest of 9 children. She was named after Brenda Lee, an American country singer.[2] Her father died when she was 2, and with the help of her mother, a pianist,[citation needed] she started earning money by singing for tourists.[2]

In 1981, at the age of 16, she left Cape Town for Soweto, Johannesburg to seek her fortune as a singer. Brenda first joined the group Joy and later became the lead singer for the township pop group Brenda And The Big Dudes. She had a son, Bongani, in 1985 by a fellow Big Dudes musician. Brenda married ex-convict Nhlanhla Mbambo in 1989 but later in 1991 got divorced. It was around this time that she became addicted to cocaine and her career suffered.

With very outspoken views and frequent visits to the poorer townships of Johannesburg, as well as songs about life in the townships, she enjoyed tremendous popularity. Known best for her songs "Weekend Special" and "Too Late for Mama", she was called by Time Magazine in 2001 "The Madonna of the Townships".

In 1995 she was discovered in a hotel with the body of her lover, Poppie Sihlahla, who had died of an apparent overdose.[2] Fassie underwent rehabilitation and got her career back on track.[2] However, she still had drug problems and returned to drug rehabilitation clinics[2] about 30 times in her life.

Since 1996 she released several solo albums like "Now Is The Time", "Memeza" (1997, the best selling album in South Africa in 1998[2]) or "Nomakanjani?". Most of her albums became multi-platinum sellers in South Africa.

On the morning of 26 April 2004, Brenda collapsed at her home in Buccleuch and was admitted into the Sunninghill hospital in Johannesburg. The press were told that she had suffered cardiac arrest but later reported that she had slipped into a coma brought on by an asthma attack. The post-mortem report revealed that she had taken an overdose of cocaine in the night of her collapse, and this was the cause of her coma. She stopped breathing and suffered brain damage from lack of oxygen. Fassie was visited in the hospital by Nelson Mandela, Winnie Mandela, and Thabo Mbeki, and her condition was front-page news in South African papers.[3][2] Brenda died at age 39 on 9 May 2004 in hospital without returning to consciousness after her life support machines were turned off. According to the South African Sunday Times and the managers of her music company, the post-mortem report also showed that she was HIV-positive. Her manager, Peter Snyman, denied this aspect of the report.

She was voted 17th in the Top 100 Great South Africans. Please comment and Rate!!!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Brenda
• Fassie
• Memeza

[msayofemi1]

@snookieflash what album is this song on?

[snookieflash]

@msayofemi1 Im not sure sowwri :(

[MegaBarbiedoll1]

this song is amazing isnt it?

[snookieflash]

@MegaBarbiedoll1 Yep epic!

[Mattiecomeback9]

what you mean sometimes? Tshaka the Zulu, Mandela, Angelique Kidjo, Djimon Hounsou (not sure of his surname), Miriam Makheba, Oliver Mutukudzi, Salief Keita, Michael JACKSON, James Brown, Sydney poitier, Barack Obama, Oprah, Tyra, Jill Scott, benjamin Mwaruwaru, Liya Kibedi, Iman, Grace Jones etc Lelethi Khumalo (sarafine)and Charlize Theron born n bred on African soil. All these and more are descendents of africa. Africa is the originator of the strong and creative.

[Botsgurl]

it is great to be African always

[gewing26]

@msayofemi1 Memeza

[hitmanbos]

we all know that Brenda was a XHOSA and her family is still among XHOSA'S E KAPA.

[gregboyds]

WARNING CHILDREN!

HAVING UNPROTECTED SEX RESULTING IN AIDS, AND DOING DRUGS, WILL KILL YOU EARLY.

JUST LIKE THEY DID BRENDA FASSI.

[Xinya4RupertGrint]

love it

[francisfruscalzo]

I love so much this song,this mix with african music and some européan notes that's wonderful and amazing!

[msayofemi1]

they should have a day for ehr INTERNATIONAL FASSIE DAY

[nightmoves0809]

She was so cute. As strong as she was, one could almost pick her up with one hand. But like her talent she would fall out of your hand.

[flowers102201]

@msayofemi1 its on Brenda 2000 

[OddVerb]

@snookieflash Memeza (: