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Hope fading for Brenda
07/05/2004 16:16 - (SA)
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| Brenda Fassie at the Telefood Concert. (George Mashinini, Beeld) |
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Johannesburg - Hope was fading on Friday for pop diva Brenda Fassie, known as "Madonna of the Townships", who suffered brain damage and has been in a coma for seven days, her family said.
Born in the Langa township of Cape Town, in 1964, Fassie's first musical foray was at the age of four when she formed a singing group inspired by her pianist mother.
As a young teen she moved to Johannesburg's Soweto township and hit instant stardom with her first solo hit "Weekend Special", earning her the title of "Madonna of the Townships."
Despite fame and fortune, Fassie was to live in Soweto for several years and became the country's most colourful female singer, publicly admitting to using drugs and being bisexual.
The early nineties were turbulent times crisscrossed by drug abuse, hospitalisation and no-shows at concerts. But Fassie's slogan "Tell everyone Brenda's back" rang true and she made a stunning comeback, winning several top music awards in South Africa and in Africa.
"The family is saddened to inform fellow South Africans that Brenda's general medical condition is now deteriorating rapidly," the Fassie family said in a statement.
"We have been advised that there is nothing more that the doctors can do to reverse her condition."
"The family has decided to leave the matter in God's hands. We ask fellow South Africans to continue to pray for Brenda," the Fassie family said.
The star, who had a history of drug abuse, was breathing with the help of a ventilator.
"Her condition has actually deteriorated. All the doctors can do now is keep her comfortable," her manager Peter Snyman added.
Former president Nelson Mandela, his former wife Winnie as well as President Thabo Mbeki and Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma have all visited Fassie in hospital.
- AFP
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