By Tamlyn Canham
Letoya Makhene-Pulumo has shared some of her favourite memories with the late Brenda Fassie. The actress and singer took a trip down memory lane while celebrating her 37th birthday.
Letoya celebrated her birthday with an intimate family dinner. Her father, music icon Blondie Makhene, joined her for an impromptu jam session during the festivities.
Letoya sang ‘Nginje’, a song she recorded with Brenda Fassie.
“MaBrrrr aka Brenda Fassie told my dad @dr_blondiemakhene that she doesn’t have long on this earth, but that no one would take her place as the superstar that she was in this country but Toya(Me). She made him promise that he would make me the STAR that she was and then she decided to feature me on this song called #NgiNje,” she revealed.
‘Nginje’ was recorded when Letoya was just 17 years of age. The ‘Weekend Special’ singer recorded the song a few months before she died in 2004.
Letoya says she adored Ma’Brrrr and her music.
“I was her biggest fan from a very young age and it was my greatest dream to sing with her. She was who I looked up to most, outside of my father @dr_blondiemakhene when I realised that all I wanted to do was sing,” she wrote.
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Letoya Makhene is a daddy’s girl
Letoya’s father continues to support her music, years after he produced her single with Brenda. She has shared several tributes to her father online, thanking him for being by her side throughout her career.
Blondie helped Letoya achieve another big career highlight late last year. She was invited to perform an acoustic version of ‘Ngihawukele’ on Ndyebo’s UHADI music tour.
“A special thanks to my dad @realblondiemakhene for making a daughter’s dream come true by sharing the stage with me,” she wrote on Instagram.
Blondie also gave Letoya his blessing when she decided to marry her wife Lebo. “My biggest fear was telling my dad and my children that mommy is in love with a woman. I was afraid of hurting them,” she told the Sunday World.
But her father welcomed Lebo to the family with open arms.
“Dear daddy @realblondiemakhene You said that some would be vicious about my newfound love. You also said that they would have YOU to deal with!” she wrote on Instagram in 2020.



