Memeza

In 2021 a young Liberian-American put together a viral Twitter thread cataloging songs that “had the African community in a chokehold” — “anthems” that had been popular across the whole continent. Among them — alongside Magic System’s “Premier Gaou”, Awilo Longomba ‘s “Karolina” and 2face’s “African Queen” — was Brenda Fassie’s “Vuli Ndlela”. The 1997 song is a quintessential South African hit, and both “Vuli Ndlela” and the album Memeza were by far the best-selling records of the decade. Yet the album came as a surprise: after finding fame with bubble-gum hit Weekend Special in 1983 and releasing the multi platinum album Too Late for Mama with legendary producer Sello “Chicco” Twala, Fassie spent years battling addiction to drugs and almost lost her life. But she saw Memeza as a “new dawn,” and, reuniting with Twala, created a winning mix by turning to a variety of classic South African sounds, from the harmonies on the title track and the township jive of “Sum’Bulala” to the kwaito basslines of “Qula” and bubblegum synths of “Vuli Ndlela.” Fassie unfortunately died at only 39 years old, but her music resonates as much as ever.