Tyla Honors Brenda Fassie and Lebo Mathosa as the Icons Who Shaped Her Sound

The Grammy winning South African pop star Tyla credits local legends Brenda Fassie and Lebo Mathosa as the voices that inspired her confidence, creativity and global rise.

South Africa’s global pop sensation Tyla is living her dream era Grammy nominations, viral dance trends, and chart-topping hits but even the brightest stars have those who lit the path before them. For Tyla, that guiding light came from two legendary South African women who shaped the country’s musical identity long before she took the global stage: Brenda Fassie and Lebo Mathosa.

In a recent GLAMOUR “Girlhood” Q&A, the “Water” hitmaker opened up about her biggest musical inspirations and the icons who shaped both her artistry and her attitude. “I really admired Brenda Fassie and Lebo Mathosa,” she said. “They were like our pop stars.”

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For many South Africans, those words instantly hit home. Anyone who grew up with Brenda Fassie’s “Vul’indlela” blasting at every family gathering or saw Lebo Mathosa’s electrifying music videos knows exactly what Tyla means. These two women weren’t just singers they were cultural forces who transformed how South Africa saw women in music.

Brenda Fassie, affectionately known as “The Madonna of the Townships,” possessed a voice powerful enough to wake an entire street. Her music, often rebellious and raw, carried stories of love, joy, heartbreak, and social truth. Songs like “Weekend Special” and “Too Late for Mama” didn’t just dominate the airwaves they became part of South Africa’s collective memory. Fassie’s fearlessness both on and off the stage made her a symbol of resistance and expression during a time when voices like hers were often silenced.

Then came Lebo Mathosa the bold, blonde bombshell who redefined what it meant to be a pop diva in South Africa. As the standout star of Boom Shaka, she embodied the energy and attitude of a new millennium. Her solo hits, like “Ntozabantu” and “Au Dede,” captured a generation unafraid to own its power. Mathosa’s daring fashion, confidence, and unapologetic sensuality paved the way for artists who wanted to be loud, proud, and authentically themselves.

Together, Fassie and Mathosa gave South African women permission to be both vulnerable and fierce, creating a blueprint that artists like Tyla could expand on in a global context. Their legacies built a bridge from township stages to international arenas and Tyla is now confidently walking that bridge in heels.

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“When I say I admired them, it’s because they showed us that South African women could be global,” Tyla explained. “Their music was just so infectious; it was everywhere in South Africa. And they were women it’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”

It’s refreshing to hear Tyla openly name local icons as her inspirations in a time when most artists default to the international greats like Beyoncé or Rihanna. While those global superstars have their place, Tyla’s acknowledgment of Fassie and Mathosa serves as a beautiful reminder that South Africa’s own music history is filled with revolutionary women who shifted culture.

Both Brenda and Lebo challenged the limits of what it meant to be a woman in entertainment. Fassie broke barriers with her political outspokenness and raw humanity, while Mathosa became the voice of post-apartheid freedom and female empowerment. Their music told us that joy was an act of rebellion and that confidence was its own kind of protest.

Tyla’s rise in the modern music scene mirrors that same rebellious spirit. With her blend of pop, R&B, and amapiano rhythms, she’s showing the world that South African sound and style can compete with and often outshine global trends. Her success, like those of Fassie and Mathosa before her, is proof that authenticity resonates louder than imitation.

For Tyla, honouring Brenda Fassie and Lebo Mathosa is more than just paying tribute; it’s about carrying the torch forward. Their influence lives in her stage presence, her fashion, and her musical fearlessness. The energy that once radiated from township dance floors now flows through international arenas and Tyla stands as the next chapter in that legacy.

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