By Tamlyn Canham
Toya Delazy believes if you can’t speak your mother tongue, you have been robbed of great joy.
The singer has been sharing her views on the importance of knowing your culture, language, and history.
Toya, who was born and raised in KwaZulu-Natal, is the granddaughter of Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi. He is the son of Princess Magogo kaDinuzulu.
“African history exists & is the most powerful thing you will ever hear. I am so privileged to know my history, pictured below my great׳ grandads brother Prince Dabulamanzi in the 1800s that’s his horse… Most Zulus had horses… We also were international traders by then…” she tweeted.
African history exists & is the most powerful thing you will ever hear. I am so privileged to know my history, pictured below my great׳ grandads brother Prince Dabulamanzi in the 1800s that's his horse.. Most zulus had horses .. We also were international traders by then.. pic.twitter.com/WCprGsKmdr
— AFRO-RAVE ☥ (@ToyaDelazy) August 9, 2021
READ: Toya Delazy releases new album
The ‘My City’ hitmaker is proud of her heritage and often expresses her love for her Zulu roots through her music and style.
She says it is time for people to take back their language and culture.
“Many of you are depressed because you are denied your natural self. Language is the roadmap of a culture. There is nothing educational about erasure. If you can’t speak your mother tongue, you have been robbed of great joy.”
Take your language & culture back.
Many of you are depressed because you are denied your natural self. Language is the roadmap of a culture. There is nothing educational about erasure. If you can't speak your mother tongue, you have been robbed of great joy. pic.twitter.com/INNF3L4SPm— AFRO-RAVE ☥ (@ToyaDelazy) August 9, 2021
Toya Delazy weighs in on SA unrest
Toya came under fire in July for her comments about the unrest in South Africa. She wrote an opinion piece for Revolt TV about what was happening.
She described the unrest as an ethnic “cleansingesque” civil war.
“The country is enduring a mass culling and massacre unlike any other after 1990,” The London-based singer wrote.
“Ethnic cleansing? Civil war? Mass culling? Massacre? Come on get your facts right,” an Instagram user commented.
“.@ToyaDelazy Gurl what are you doing? Why you telling the Americans this is an ethnic cleansing? Do you even know what that means?” one Twitter user wrote.
Toya stood by her opinion piece.
“Ethnic cleansing is the systematic forced removal or extermination of ethnic, racial and/or religious groups from a given area’. Also ‘cleansingesque’ and brackets are there to show likeness at the time of writing. Chile and read the whole thing before you grab your keyboard,” she tweeted.
Main image credit: Instagram/@toyadelazy
