Brenda Fassie’s Fashion, Music and Politics: SA Legend Remembered in 5 Iconic Pictures From 23-Year Career

The late Brenda Fassie is one of South Africa's favourites, thanks to her immense star power as a musician. The Vulindela singer's stellar career is a sight to behold, and her influence is palpable just by looking at her history in the industry. Brenda also had a close connection with Nelson Mandela, with whom she was closely associated throughout her time as a musician-activist.

Brenda Fassie gave South Africans the best years of her life before she passed away in 2004. The star was dubbed the queen of African pop after her amazing career.

Brenda was so beloved that she's affectionately known as Ma Brr. The superstar way a breath of fresh air in South Africa's entertainment space.

Brenda Fassie's 1st ever hit was Weekend Special

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According to News 24, Brenda was born on 03 November 1964 in Langa Township, Capetown. The musician was the last born out of nine kids. Apparently, a young Brenda would often burst out singing random songs.

Brenda's musical debut only came in 1983 with Weekend Special whilst with her band The Big Dudes, reported News24. It was only up from there as Brenda's career grew into an unstoppable force, giving the country countless memories.

What did Brenda Fassie do for South Africa?

During her career, Brenda was vocal about her support for Nelson Mandela. Ms Fassie became well-known worldwide as a pop music star, and much of her music was about the struggle against apartheid. She found success with politically themed hits such as Too late for Mama and, most notably, Black President for Mandela, a song that struck a chord with the country as a memorable nationwide hit.

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Brenda Fassie was well known for her immense support against the apartheid regime. Pictured below, Brenda has a snap proving her support on an international platform by posing next to Nelson Mandela's portrait in France on July 23, 1990, and throwing up a fist bump which is a sign of protest and solidarity, as explained by ABC News (left frame below).

Brenda Fassie as Africa's Madonna

Brenda Fassie continued to perform into the early 2000s. One of the legends' last performances was on 8 September 2003, where she managed to execute a flawless split on stage.

Aside from being well-known as a star performer, Brenda Fassie also has quite a reputation as a fashion icon. The star was a risk taker and experimented with lots of styles. In one picture, Brenda is pulling off a gothic makeup look that she paired with a chunky black choker in the shape of a Christian cross to give it that bit of edge (left frame below).

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Brenda showed a different side to her while in France on 23 January 1991 for the Music Industry Trade Fair (Right frame above). Brenda's next picture is in the more casual sweater, and her makeup is much simpler to give off a clean girl aesthetic.

Brenda Fassie remains etched in Mzansi's memories thanks to her discography and overall artistic genius that made a real impact with its influence during apartheid.

MaBrr gave her best to Mzansi until 2003, when she passed on, but she lived on through her art.

"Inspired by MaBrr": SA convinced Beyoncé channelled Brenda Fassie in latest song

Briefly News previously reported that Beyoncé Knowles caused a stir again. The legendary singer was trending after dropping her single Break My Soul.

Peep had mixed reactions to the banger from Queen Bey's album Renaissance. Some social media users did not enjoy the song, while others felt the opposite and were in love.

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Some Mzansi netizens said Beyoncé's song reminded them of one of the country's greatest performers - Brenda Fassie. According to TshisaLIVE, Break My Soul had tweeps hearing bits of MaBrr's hit Ngiyakusaba from her 1991 album, I Am Not A Bad Girl.

Source: Briefly News