UBrenda Fassie indlovukazi ye-Afro-Pop
UMZWILILI uBrenda Nokuzola Fassie waziwa kakhulu ngelika MaBrrr kubalandeli bakhe kanti futhi ubebuye ateketiswe njengo “Madonna of The Townships” noma ngeThe Black Madonna. UBrenda Fassie wazalwa ngowe-1964 ezalelwa eLanga elokishini eliseduze kwase Cape Town. Uqanjwe ngegama lomculi waseMelika uBrenda Lee. Ubeyindodakazi yomdlali wophiyano kanti waqala ukucula esemncane nokwathi eseneminyaka emihlanu wayesenokuculela izivakashi futhi zinokumkhokhela! Ngaleso sikhathi wayesenebhendi ayecula nayo eyayaziwa ngeTiny Tots. UBrenda Fassie wayengomncane emndenini wezingane eziyisishiyagalolunye kanti wayezalwa emndenini owawungemile kahle. Uyise washona eseneminyaka emibili kuphela, kanti unina wakhe wayengumsebenzi wasezindlini.
Ngenkathi eseneminyaka eyi-16 umkhiqizi womculo ophambili uKoloi Lebona wasuka eGoli waya kovakashela umndeni kaFassie eLanga ngemuva kokuhletshelwa ngoBrenda iningi labaculi baseKapa begcizelela ukuthi izwi lakhe lidala kunaye kanti liyizwi elinekusasa elihle. Ngokuvumelana nomndeni wakhe uBrenda wazithola esefudukela eSoweto. Wayohlala emzini kaLebona ukuze aqedele nesikole. Ngenkathi omunye wabaculi beqembu lamantombazane amathathu iJoy ekhulelwa uBrenda wathatha indawo yakhe nokwaba isiqalo sokungena kwakhe endimeni yezomculo ngokugcwele.
Emva kokuphela kwesivumelwano sakhe neqembu le-Joy uBrenda wabonakala esecula noBlondie noPapa nokwalandelwa ukuthi kusungulwe iqembu leBrenda and the Big Dudes. Ngowe-1983 wakhipha icwecwe lakhe lokuqala i“Weekend Special” nelashisa izikhotha lithengwa ubuthaphuthaphu. Leli culo lathandwa kakhulu naphesheya kwezilwandle nokwenza ukuthi uBrenda and the Big Dudes bamenyelwe e-United States, eBritain, Australia naseBrazil. Okwalandela ukuthi uBrenda waduma kakhulu njengomculi ovelele kuleli. Sekuyophela iminyaka yowe-1980, uBrenda waqala ukusebenza nomkhiqizi uSello “Chicco” Thwala, kanti ubudlelwano babo bamenza waphumelela kakhulu emculweni kuleli. Ngowe-1989 wakhipha icwecwe lakhe ngokubambisana noThwala elabizwa ngokuthi iToo Late for Mama, eladayisa kakhulu laze lathola iPlatinum Status.
Ngalesi sikhathi wadlondlobala kakhulu u-Fassie nokwathi ngowe-1989 washada nensizwa yaKwa Mashu uNhlanhla Mbambo. Umshado wabo waduma kakhulu ngenxa yokuthi babehamba nangebhanoyi elinophephela emhlane. Umshado wabo awuhlalanga isikhathi esitheni ngoba ngoMandulo wonyaka we-1990 bamemezela ukuthi sebeyahlukana. Icwecwe lakhe iBlack President (ngowe-1990) walikhiphela ukubungaza iqhaza likaMandela enkululekweni yokugqilazwa kwabamnyama kuleli.
Ngeshwa impilo yakhe yashesha ukunqamuka, wedlula emhlabeni. Ngowe-1995 izinga lempilo yakhe lehla kakhulu. Ukwehla kwezinga lempilo yakhe kwehlisa nezinga lomculo wakhe. Kodwa kwathi khona kunjalo, ngonyaka olandelayo wazikhiqizela yena icwecwe elisha elaligama lalo lithi iNow Is The Time nelalipike uPapa Wemba wase Democratic Republic of Congo. Ngowe-1998 wabuye wahlangana noChico futhi baqhamuka nolozolo lwecwecwe elibizwa ngokuthi iMemeza neladayisa kakhulu kuleli laze lamzuzisa izindondo zamaSouth African Music Awards (SAMAs). Ngowe-1999 wabungazwa ngeKora Award njengomculi ovelele wesifazane. Necwecwe lakhe elalandela leNomakanjani nalo lagila izimanga ladayisa ukwedlula amanye ngesikhashana esifushane nje.
Ngowe-2001, iphephabhuku elidume kakhulu emhlabeni iTime yabhala ngoBrenda Fassie ngo“The Madonna of the Townships” nokwabeka ngokusobala ngodumo lwakhe phesheya kwezilwandle, nase-Afrika imbala.
Zingama-26 kuMbasa ngowe-2004 uFassie waphuthunyiswa esibhedlela saseJohannesburg Hospital ngenxa yokumelwa inhliziyo. Yize odokotela bakwazi ukumvusa kodwa wahlala kwicoma nokwenza abalandeli bakhe nezihlobo bahlale emikhulekweni bemfisela ukwelulama ngokushesha. Ziyi-9 kuNhlaba wedlula emhlabeni uBrenda Fassie. Kwabaningi ukushona kwakhe bakumatanisa nesifo esasinokumphatha sokuphelelwa umoya (asthma). Kodwa ngemva kokushona kwakhe iqiniso lavela lokuthi engathi ukuma kwenhliziyo yakhe kwakuphathelene nokwehla kwamandla akhe njengoba wayesengumuntu obuthakathaka.
Wangcwatshwa zingama-23 kuNhlaba elokishini lapho azalelwa khona eLanga, kanti washiya emhlabeni umfana wakhe owayeneminyaka eyi-19, uBongani Fassie.
UBrenda Fassie kwakuyindlovukazi yomculo we Afro-Pop kuleli kanti ikhono lakhe lokudansa nokucula lalibabazeka kakhulu. Wake wasebenza nenkakha yeshashalazi labamnyama uBra Gibson Kente. Ukubaluleka kwakhe endimeni yomculo neqhaza lakhe lokucula ephikisana nobandlululo kwenza nokuthi avakashelwe esibhedlela ngowayenguMengameli wokuqala wentando yabantu uNelson Rolihlahla Mandela kanye noMengameli waleso sikhathi uMnu uThabo Mbeki.
Wakhuthaza abaningi ngenkathi evuma ukuthi unenkinga yezidakamizwa – kanti umculo wakhe awusoze wakhohlakala futhi usazozalwa oyocula njengoBrenda Fassie!
