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)
Vuli Ndlela
Brenda Fassie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He unyana wam
Helele uyashada namhlanje
Vul' indlela wena MaNyawuza
Suba nomona
Unyana wami uthathile
Bengingazi ngiyombon' umakoti
Eh ujongile this time
MaRadebe suk' eyingxoxweni
Uzemshadweni siyashadisa namhlanje
Bebesithi unyana wam ulixoki
Bebesithi angeke ashade
Vul' indlela
Vul' indlela weMaMgobhozi
He unyana wam
Helele uyashada namhlanje
Vul'indlela wena MaNyawuza
Suba nomona
Unyana wami uthathile
Bengingazi ngiyombon' umakoti
Unyana wam
Eh ujongile this time
MaRadebe suk' eyingxoxweni
Uzemshadweni siyashadisa namhlanje
Bebesithi unyana wam ulixoki
Bebesithi angeke ashade (vul'indlela)
Vul' indlela we MaMgobhozi
Vul' indlela yekela umona
Vul' indlela we MaMgobhozi
Vul' indlela yekela umona
Kodwa wena MaNgobese
Hey unomona
Ngoba awunanyana
Unentombi zodwa
Ayoyoyo MaNgobese
Hee unomona
Hee ngoba unyana onjengowami
Bengingazi ngiyombon' umakoti
Unyana wam eh ujongile this time
MaRadebe suk' eyingxoxweni
Uzemshadweni siyashadisa namhlanje
Bebesithi unyana wam ulisoka
Bebesithi angeke ashade (vul' indlela)
Vul' indlela we MaMgobhozi
Vul' indlela yekela umona
Vul' indlela we MaMgobhozi
Vul' indlela yekela umona
Vul' indlela we MaMgobhozi
Vul' indlela yekela umona
Vul' indlela we MaMgobhozi
Vul' indlela yekela umona
The lyrics to Brenda Fassie's "Vuli Ndlela" are written in Zulu and depict a conversation between a mother and her son. The son has found a woman he loves and wants to marry, but the mother is skeptical and doubtful of his intentions. She asks him to prove himself and show her that he is ready for marriage. The title of the song, "Vuli Ndlela", means "open the path" in Zulu, and can be interpreted as a call to action for the son to prove himself.
The first verse begins with the mother addressing her son as "unyana wam" which means "my son" in Zulu, and urging him to open the path to his future with his chosen bride. The second verse introduces another family, the Radebes, who are gossiping about the son's intentions to marry. The chorus, which repeats throughout the song, emphasizes the importance of opening the path to marriage and proving oneself worthy.
The final verse is a conversation between the mother and a man named MaNgobese, who is also skeptical of the son's intentions. He questions the son's maturity and readiness for marriage, and the mother defends her son by saying he is just like any other young man in love.
Overall, "Vuli Ndlela" is a song that speaks to the struggles of young love and the importance of proving oneself before embarking on a life-long commitment.
Line by Line Meaning
Vul' indlela weMaMgobhozi
Open up the path for the gossipers
He unyana wam
My son
Helele uyashada namhlanje
You're getting married today
Vul' indlela wena MaNyawuza
Open up the path for Nyawuza
Suba nomona
Get out of the way
Unyana wami uthathile
My son has taken
Bengingazi ngiyombon' umakoti
I never thought I'd see a bride
Eh ujongile this time
Oh, he's grown up this time
MaRadebe suk' eyingxoxweni
Radebe always talks nonsense
Uzemshadweni siyashadisa namhlanje
We're celebrating at the wedding today
Bebesithi unyana wam ulixoki
They said my son won't get married
Bebesithi angeke ashade
They said he will never marry (open up the path)
Vul' indlela
Open up the path
Vul' indlela yekela umona
Open up the path and let the unhappy one pass
Kodwa wena MaNgobese
But you, Ngobese
Hey unomona
Hey, the unhappy one
Ngoba awunanyana
Because you have no child
Unentombi zodwa
You're a lonely girl
Ayoyoyo MaNgobese
Oh no, Ngobese
Hee unomona
Hey, the unhappy one
Hee ngoba unyana onjengowami
Hey, because your son is like mine
Vul' indlela we MaMgobhozi
Open up the path for the gossipers
Vul' indlela yekela umona
Open up the path and let the unhappy one pass
Vul' indlela we MaMgobhozi
Open up the path for the gossipers
Vul' indlela yekela umona
Open up the path and let the unhappy one pass
Vul' indlela we MaMgobhozi
Open up the path for the gossipers
Vul' indlela yekela umona
Open up the path and let the unhappy one pass
Vul' indlela we MaMgobhozi
Open up the path for the gossipers
Vul' indlela yekela umona
Open up the path and let the unhappy one pass
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Brenda Fassie, Ernest Sello Twala
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Yes ooo the song is best as I performed it back in college and whole compus was wow😅😅