@BRENDA FASSIE...Brenda Fassie was a South African singer, songwriter, dancer, and activist, often referred to as the "Queen of African Pop" or the "Madonna of the Townships". She was born on November 3, 1964, in Langa, Cape Town, South Africa, and was the youngest of nine children. Her mother, a pianist, nurtured her musical talent from a young age, and by the time she was five, she was already performing for tourists2. In 1981, Fassie moved to Johannesburg to pursue her music career and became the lead singer of Brenda and the Big Dudes. Her debut hit single, "Weekend Special" (1983), became a massive success, propelling her to international fame. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, she released several platinum-selling albums, including "Too Late for Mama" (1989), "Memeza" (1998), and "Nomakanjani" (1999).