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| Entertainment |
| Malawians too will miss Brenda |
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by
Our Reporter, 14 May 2004
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13:41:21
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People will certainly miss a lot from talented South African pop icon Brenda Fassie following her death on Sunday which came as a shock to her fans.
Hers was a rare combination. Not only was her music great, but she also had a spectacular voice which attracted hordes of fanatics both in her home country and Africa as a whole.
Her agent Sello ‘Chicco’ Twala has been quoted in the press as saying “out of a thousand people you talk to in Africa, maybe two only would say they don’t know Brenda”.
Controversial though her behaviour was, Brenda still boasted an army of loyal and loving fans. People might have despised her for her temper tantrums, drug abuse and outspokenness, but they certainly loved her music.
Interestingly, even the diva herself knew the effect she had on people as far as her singing was concerned. Some few years back, one of the South African magazines had quoted her as having said, “I have a golden voice, and nobody can take that away from me”.
And of course, nobody can dispute that statement with a straight eye. But as they say, all good things must come to an end. Brenda’s life has come to an end, but will her music ever do?
Interviews with a cross-section of people in Malawi reveal that the African diva has become a legend and that chances of her music dying with her are very slim. Most Malawians remember her for her recent wedding song Vulindlela and of course the hit Weekend Special.
“It is very sad that she is dead. We have lost a star, a legend. You rarely meet stars of the calibre and unique talent that Brenda had,” said actress Getrude Kamkwatira of Wanna Do Ensemble Theatre.
Kamkwatira said as much as Brenda had a bad public image, she was still loved by many and a lot of people are going to miss her.
Even local musicians had something to say on the mark she has left in the music industry.
Maria Chidzanja-Nkhoma, veteran musician and a reputable broadcaster, had this to say about Brenda’s death: “It is sad. She had a vibrant life, somehow troubled by drugs as we all know, but we all have our vices.”
Chidzanja-Nkhoma said Brenda made a mark in the music industry with her vibrancy, her escapades but thought that her death would probably be felt more by non-South Africans.
“South Africa has a lot of good musicians and she definitely had her supporters. But the influence of outside singers is always greater than that of local ones,” she said.
As Mlaka Maliro said: “Her death is a big loss. She was highly skilled and an inspiration to so many of us musicians. We learnt a lot from her.”
Jai Banda, promoter of Uhuru Band, said he was very disturbed and sorry to hear about Brenda’s death.
“She has done a lot for music in Africa and her loss is to the whole of the African continent. The thing about her is that she believed in whatever she stood for regardless of what people said,” said Banda.
According to him, Brenda was also a good performer on stage and her shows drew huge crowds.
“When holding live shows, she was usually very energetic and sometimes emotional. She could even shed tears on stage depending on the type of song she was performing,” he commented.
Banda anticipated that people would begin to love and appreciate her music even more now that she is dead.
“Obviously, there are other people who looked beyond her singing talent and despised her way of life. I am sure even that group will begin to appreciate her talent as is usually the case when people die. People tend to take you for granted when alive,” said Banda.
He said some of the songs that he cherishes the most by Brenda include Vulindlela, Weekend Special and I’m Going Higher, a song which he recalled was usually the one that the singer used to start her shows with in those days.
Musician Wendy Harawa, who remembers the diva for the songs Vulindlela and Nomakanjani, echoed similar sentiments when she said Brenda’s death is a great loss to the music industry and that news of her passing was really sad and shocking.
“She was my idol and I really adored her music. It is going to be sad listening to her music and knowing that there will not be more compositions from her,” she said.
Billy Kaunda, describing himself as one of her big fanatics, shared most people’s views saying the music industry has lost one of the biggest contributors to its growth.
“We have musicians here in Malawi who really admired her music and learnt a lot from her. She was a great artist renowned worldwide, which should not be taken for granted,” he said.
He said her song ‘The Lord is my shepherd’ is the one that he loved the most.
Indeed, Brenda’s death has affected both musicians and music lovers alike.
Sophie Zamaele, a Blantyre resident said Brenda’s death can only be described as tragic.
“We are going to miss her and I know her music is going to be appreciated more now that she is dead, even by her critics,” she commented.
Asked whether it is fair to focus on her lifestyle and conduct, she said her contribution to the music industry is more important.
“She was only human so there is no need to fuss over her behaviour. Everybody makes mistakes,” she said.
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