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The Brenda Fassie sculpture was created by artist Angus Taylor.

Top 10 Outstanding Facts about Brenda Fassie

Brenda Fassie was a South African singer, songwriter, dancer and activist. Affectionately called MaBrrr by her fans, she is also known as the “Queen of African Pop”, the “Madonna of The Townships” or simply as The Black Madonna.

Her bold stage antics earned a reputation for “outrageousness”. Ironically, her Xhosa name, Nokuzola, is a feminine name that means “quiet, calm or peace”.Let’s take a look at some of the most outstanding facts about her;

1. Brenda was named after American singer Brenda lee

Brenda Nokuzola Fassie was born in Langa, Cape Town on 3 November 1964 as the youngest of nine children. She was named after American singer Brenda Lee.

Her father died when she was two and left them with only their single mother to take care of the family. With the help of her mother who was a pianist, fassie started earning money by singing for tourists.

2. One of her songs “Black President” was banned by the South African government

One of her songs ” Black President ” was banned for a time by the South African government, but Fassie’s popularity only increased. She became so popular in both South Africa and even the world. She also used her music to oppose the apartheid regime in South Africa

The song “Black President” was in support of dismantling the country’s apartheid system, which had troubled the country’s black people. The song became a hit and was widely known in South Africa’s Black townships.

The song was a tribute to Nelson Mandela, a political prisoner and later the first Black president of South Africa

3. She was married and divorced by Nhlanhla Mbambo 

She was married to Nhlanhla Mbambo but divorced him in 1991, two years after marrying him. The reason for the divorce was rumoured to be spousal abuse.

She had a son named Bongani out of wedlock with Big Dudes member Dumisani Ngubeni in the 1980s.

4. Fassie won several South African Music awards 

Fassie has won five South African Music Awards including; Best Female Artist and Song of the Year in 1999, Best-selling Release of the Decade and Best Song of the Decade in 2004, and Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.

She also won three Kora Awards including; The Most promising Female Artist of Africa and Best Female Artist of Africa in 1996, and the Jury Special Award in 2001. She was voted 17th in the Top 100 Great South Africans.

5. Fassie’s son Bongani is also a musician

Fassie’s son Bongani Fassie is also a musician and an expert rapper who has created many rap melodies like Gotta Keep It Going, Hands Up, Ocean Ties, Ugologo, Far From Easy, and numerous others. Additionally, he has likewise delivered three collections named Makana Square (2009), African Boys (1996), and Rise (2013).

Bongani “Bongz” Fassie performed “I’m So Sorry”, a song dedicated to his mother, on the soundtrack to the 2005 Academy Award-winning movie Tsotsi.

6. She was addicted to drugs which later took her life

She became addicted to cocaine and her career suffered around the 1990s. She later underwent rehabilitation and got her career back on track. However, she still had drug problems and returned to drug rehabilitation clinics about 30 times in her life.

After her death, the post-mortem report revealed that she had taken an overdose of cocaine on the night of her collapse, and this was the cause of her coma. She never came back from that coma alive.

7. Fassie released several songs and albums throughout her career

Fassie released several songs and albums throughout her career including albums like; The Weekend Special in 1983, Cool Spot(EP) in 1984, Let’s Stick Together in 1984, Higher and Higher in 1985, Touch Somebody(EP) in 1985 and No No Senorin 1986 all with The Big Dudes Band. 

She also released some solo albums including; 1987: Brenda, 1987: Ag Shame Lovey, 1988: Umuntu ngumuntu Ngabantu, 1989: Too Late for Mama, 1990: Black President, 1991: I Am Not a Bad Girl, 1992: Yo Baby, 1993: Mama, 1994: Abantu Bayakhuluma, 1995: Umuntu Uyashintsha, 1996: Now Is the Time, 1997: Paparazzi, 1998: Memeza, 1999: Nomakanjani. 

She has also released other albums including; 2000: Thola Amadlozi, 2001: Myekeleni, 2002: Mina Nawe: Ngohlala Ngi Nje, 2003: Mali, 2004: Gimme Some Volume, 2004: Greatest Hits:The Queen Of African Pop (1964–2004). Most of Fassie’s records were issued by the EMI-owned CCP Records.

8. Fassie always found herself in numerous Controversies

Fassie always found herself in controversies throughout her life including; In 1995, she was discovered in a hotel with the body of her female lover, Poppie Sihlahla, who had died of an apparent overdose. 

She was sued for fraud in 1990 together with then-husband Nhlanhla Mbambo (an ex-convict). A year later their marriage broke up and she accused him of being a wife beater. Also in 1992, she was convicted of assaulting a photojournalist.

In 1994 Brenda struggled to record her album, Abantu Bayakuluma due to her indulgence in cocaine. “I can’t remember a thing, I was so high,” she admitted later when asked how the recording with Papa Wemba went. In 1995 she was booked into rehab after admitting she was on drugs.

9. She started her career aged just four and recorded her first single at 19

Fassie started her career at the tender age of four and she was already singing to the sounds of her mother’s piano. A year later she started making money out of it by singing for tourists. Her voice soon became a legend in the township. At sixteen (some sources say 14) she received a visit from a well-known producer, Koloi Lebona.

He came from Johannesburg to Langa one Christmas to see what the musicians were raving about. Accompanied by her mother’s piano, Brenda performed for Koloi. According to E.M.I Music, he described her voice as “different to anything I had heard until then. I knew it was the voice of the future”.

That year she left with Koloi for Johannesburg and soon after arriving joined the group Joy. Next, she starred in Blondie and Papa before she formed Brenda and the Big Dudes. At the young age of 19, she recorded her first hit single, Weekend Special and the hits just followed and she became a star.

10. She died of cardio-respiratory arrest resulting from a drug overdose

Brenda Fassie died of cardio-respiratory arrest which resulted from a drug overdose. She was in the hospital for over two weeks after she suffered a fatal asthma attack, which lead to cardio-respiratory arrest.

Doctors warned her family that her condition was deteriorating and later her life support machine was turned off and she passed away in her sleep. Her family, including her long-term partner, were at her side when she died.

Most of her albums became multi-platinum sellers in South Africa; Memeza was the best-selling album in South Africa in 1998. In March 2006 a life-size bronze sculpture of Fassie by artist Angus Taylor was installed outside Bassline, a music venue in Johannesburg.