'Brenda Fassie and Lebo Mathosa were my idols'

SOUTH African pop queen Tyla is having that era of global fame, Grammy glitz, and all. But even superstars have idols, and for Tyla, her girlhood playlist was blessed with the voices of two Mzansi icons who walked so she could strut: Brenda Fassie and Lebo Mathosa.

In a recent GLAMOUR Girlhood Q&A, the Water hitmaker opened up about the women who shaped her sound and spirit. “I really admired Brenda Fassie and Lebo Mathosa,” she said without missing a beat. “They were like our pop stars.”

If you grew up in a South African home where Fassie’s Vul’indlela played at every family function, or where Mathosa’s dangerous music videos were the blueprint for unapologetic confidence, you already know exactly what Tyla means.

These women were cultural revolutionaries with a beat.

Fassie, affectionately known as the Madonna of the Townships, had a voice that could wake up an entire street, literally. Her fearless lyrics and rebellious energy made her a voice for the people.

Then came Mathosa, the golden-haired diva of Boom Shaka fame, who brought Y2K attitude before it was even a thing.

With her own mix of sultry pop and amapiano flair, these trailblazers were proof that local girls could go global. “Their music was just so infectious; it was everywhere in South Africa. And they were women, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” Tyla said.