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 a drug-related incident in 1995 she was discovered unconscious with the body of her lover, Poppie Sihlahla, who had died of an apparent overdose. Fassie survived, 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.
Since 1996 she released several solo albums like "Now Is The Time", "Memeza" (1997, the best selling album in South Africa) 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. 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.
Source: Wikipedia
External link: Brenda Fassie: A very human hero (BBC News)
Party Time
Brenda Fassie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is nobody going to pick you up tonight
Hey baby why have that look in your eyes
Don′t you wanna party tonight
Don't you know you′ve got to be in the room
Nobody likes an old fashioned lady
If you wanna get invited to the party
You know you've got to get up and move
The song "Party Time" by Brenda Fassie is a reflective piece on the nature of social interaction, particularly in clubbing scenes. In the opening lines, we see the singer addressing a person who appears to be isolated from the festivities around them. "Hey baby why are u standing there alone", communicates the singer's concern for this person's well-being and desire to include them in the experience. She further delves into the subject's emotions, asking "Hey baby why have that look in your eyes", showing empathy for their potential feeling of exclusion.
Brenda Fassie then contrasts this with an urgent call to action. She tells this person that they don't want to be seen as "old fashioned", a term that can generally be interpreted to express a lack of enthusiasm, especially in social situations. Thus, she encourages the subject to "get up and move" in order to be a part of the party. The central theme of the song is thus one of social inclusion, specifically within subcultures that tend to be exclusionary.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey baby why are u standing there alone
Excuse me, miss, I couldn't help but notice that you're standing by yourself. Is there a particular reason that nobody has asked you to accompany them tonight?
Is nobody going to pick you up tonight
Are you feeling discouraged that you haven't been approached or asked out tonight?
Hey baby why have that look in your eyes
You appear to have a somber expression on your face. Could it be because you haven't been invited to engage in the festivities?
Don't you wanna party tonight
Would you be interested in joining the celebration tonight?
Don't you know you've got to be in the room
Participating in the merrymaking is required to have an enjoyable time.
Nobody likes an old fashioned lady
Outdated, conventional behavior is not appealing and may result in being excluded from the fun.
If you wanna get invited to the party
If gaining an invitation to the fiesta is what you're hoping for,
You know you′ve got to get up and move
It's imperative that you take initiative and make a move to engage in the festivities if you want to be a part of the revelry.
Writer(s): Brenda Fassie, Malcolm Watson
Contributed by Leo A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Ehinomen
It's giving nostalgia. I miss those times. This made my childhood. Love from Nigeria 🇳🇬 ❤️
@austinelankazeku184
I dey tell yu my dear, we Nigerians know better music when we see one
@HERITAGEAFRICA1
yes o
@esthersobijoh8334
Same here😢
@checheola6561
2022 I'm still enjoying this from Nigeria 🇳🇬
@carolynololade4126
Same here 😍😍😍
@sugarlee1414
Same here
@emmish4776
Who is here watching 2022🥰🥰🥰
@julietfrank5779
Me
@bridgetaugustine220
Me