A Weekend Must-Watch: VULINDLELA — The Brenda Fassie Story

“Weekend Special” to World Stage: The Docuseries Reclaiming the Brenda Fassie We’ve Been Missing

We all grew up vibing to “Weekend Special” — MaBrrr had the whole nation in a chokehold before we even knew what a hit was. But this weekend? We’re going past the radio version. VULINDLELA on SABC1 is pulling Brenda Fassie out the archives and putting her back where she belongs: front row in the culture. No filters, no PR polish, no tabloid nonsense. Just the real MaBrrr — loud, legendary, and larger than life. The icon the streets claimed long before the world caught on.

Brenda Fassie: The Original Pop-Culture Disruptor

Before “unapologetic era” captions and #SoftLife energy became lifestyle, Brenda was already living it unscripted. She was chaos and genius in one breath — the superstar who could drop a mega-hit, shake the nation, drag the industry into the future, and trend before trending was a thing.

VULINDLELA taps into that exact essence: the raw, electric, ungovernable Brenda.
Not the myth.
Not the scandal.
Not the legend flattened into nostalgia.

The woman who was the moment. Every moment.

Dzinge Productions doesn’t tiptoe — they go all in, capturing the messy brilliance, the fearlessness, and the fire that made MaBrrr a cultural landmark.

Her Rise to Stadium Royalty

This four-part docuseries doesn’t just tell the story — it revives it.

Expect:

• rare, intimate interviews
• scenes and re-enactments by star quality cast including Brenda Ngxoli
• archival footage that feels like finding a lost diary
• stories carried by those who loved, studied, and survived Brenda

The journey rewinds back to Brenda & The Big Dudes, grounding her roots in Langa before blasting into her continental reign. Rwanda, Maputo, Jozi — no matter where she stepped, crowds caught fire.

A Soundtrack to a Nation in Transition

MaBrrr wasn’t just a musician — she was an entire era.
Affectionately known as the Queen of African Pop and the Madonna of the Townships, she shaped the sound and spirit of a generation. Her music carried heartbreak, politics, gossip, joy, pain — all in one voice that could stop a taxi rank, a lounge full of aunties, or a stadium of strangers.

VULINDLELA reminds us that Brenda didn’t just reflect the culture. She moved it.

The Darkness, the Headlines, the Comeback

This docuseries isn’t scared of the shadows. It faces them honestly and with nuance — no exploitation, no sensationalism.

It traces the pressure, the backlash, the public unraveling, and the battles Brenda fought in the spotlight. But it also honours her resilience and her memory that lives on through her music and many others who followed in her footsteps.

“A Legend Lived Among Us” — And Still Does

Executive Producer Shandukani Nesengani captures it best:

“The intention is for people to know that a legend lived amongst us.”

And through VULINDLELA, she lives again — not frozen in nostalgia, but reclaimed in full colour. Loud. Bold. Unapologetic. Human.

For Gen Z who crave authenticity, for millennials who were raised on her voice, and for the streets that crowned her long before the industry paid attention — this docuseries is a cultural homecoming.

When to Watch

VULINDLELA — premieres Saturday, 15 November 2025 at 20:00 on SABC1
New episodes every Saturday until 6 December 2025

Round up the cousins.
Grab the blankets.
Warm the kota.
Turn up the TV.

You’ve sung the anthem.
Now witness the story.

RIP MaBrrr — forever loud, forever legendary, forever ours.