Sitting in front of her computer, Aline is listening to her favorite song, Vulindlela by Brenda Fassie. Her childhood memories and the voice of her passed mother singing that song as a bedtime story make her cry. Fassie, the South-African singer, united the continent through her music, by singing about love and life. Even if her life was as tragic as her death, her memory is still strongly alive. Despite Being HIV-positive and addicted to cocaine, she portrayed the image of a powerful women, and people all around the continent listened to her hoping for a better future. By taking part in the anti-apartheid struggle, she brought a new imagine to her country. “She gave us the energy needed to stand up for ourselves. She was an incredible woman,” said Anita, a 54 year old South-African woman.
“Her songs remind me the happiest moments of my life,” said Aline, a young Ugandan woman, with a smile on her face. She was more than a pop star, Fassie was the voice people had to listen to since she was there and didn’t want to go anywhere. Her strong personality helped people to identify with her and do what they couldn’t originally do.
On Sunday, may 9th 2004, she passed away at the Sunning hill Hospital at Johannesburg, South Africa. “I cried so much that I felt sick,” said Anita. Her death was expected since she had been in coma since April 26, but it was still a shock for the nation. Even if she is gone, new generations are still influence by her work.
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