Tyla, the sensational music artist currently making waves across the globe, hails from South Africa. This fact is central to understanding not just her origins, but also the complex cultural conversation surrounding her racial identity. The 21-year-old singer has ignited a passionate debate, particularly in the United States, regarding her self-identification as “coloured,” a term that carries vastly different connotations depending on geographical and historical context. This article delves into Tyla’s background, exploring why her identity has become a focal point of discussion and what it reveals about cultural nuances and global perceptions of race.
Tyla’s emergence onto the international music scene has been meteoric, driven by her hit song “Water” and her captivating amapiano sound. However, alongside her rising fame, a cultural clash has unfolded online, primarily concerning her description of herself as “coloured South African.” A video from before her global breakthrough, where Tyla proudly embraces her mixed-race heritage, went viral and sparked controversy. In the video, adorned with Bantu knots and traditional beads, she declares “I am a coloured South African,” presenting it as a statement of pride and cultural richness.
This declaration, intended as a personal expression of her identity, landed in the crosshairs of online discourse, particularly in the United States where the term “colored” is perceived as a deeply offensive slur rooted in the era of racial segregation. For many Americans, the word evokes the painful history of Jim Crow laws, where “colored” signs demarcated spaces for black Americans in a system designed to enforce racial hierarchy. This historical baggage makes the term highly charged and unacceptable in contemporary American society.
The reaction from some American online users was swift and critical. One user on X (formerly Twitter) cautioned that using the term “coloured” could derail Tyla’s career in the American market, reflecting the stark difference in the word’s perception. This immediate negative reaction underscores the significant cultural divide and the sensitivity surrounding racial terminology.
However, within South Africa, “coloured” carries a completely different meaning and history. It is not a slur but a recognized racial and cultural identity, officially acknowledged in the country. This identity emerged from the complex history of South Africa, particularly during the Apartheid era. Apartheid, a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination, classified people into racial groups, including “white,” “black,” “Indian,” and “coloured.”
The “coloured” community in South Africa is a diverse group of people with mixed heritage, often tracing their ancestry back to indigenous African populations, European colonizers, and Asian immigrants. This blending of origins has created a unique cultural identity with distinct traditions, languages (often Afrikaans and English), and social practices. Michael Morris from the South African Institute of Race Relations emphasizes that the coloured identity is “quintessentially South African,” forged in the specific geographical and historical context of the region.
Lynsey Ebony Chutel and Tessa Dooms, co-authors of “Coloured: How Classification Became Culture,” who grew up in Eldorado Park, a historically coloured township in Johannesburg, have extensively written about this identity. They highlight the eclectic nature of coloured culture, encompassing diverse appearances, languages, accents, and heritages. For them, being “coloured” is about belonging to this vibrant, mixed community, shaped by shared experiences, music, religion, and cultural expressions.
Tessa Dooms recounts her experience at Columbia University in New York, where introducing herself as a coloured woman from South Africa was met with discomfort and required her to defend her identity. This experience mirrors the online controversy surrounding Tyla and illustrates the challenges of navigating racial identity across different cultural landscapes. Dooms stresses the danger of Americans attempting to dictate the terms of blackness or coloured identity, arguing for the recognition of diverse experiences and self-definitions.
Carissa Cupido, a South African radio host from Mitchells Plain, Cape Town, a predominantly coloured area, echoes this sentiment. She emphasizes the importance of embracing and celebrating her coloured identity, despite its origins in Apartheid-era classification. Cupido, who interviewed Tyla early in her career, sees Tyla as embodying “coloured” identity in her accent, natural hair, and vibrant energy. Tyla’s global success is particularly meaningful for Cupido, representing a long-awaited moment of representation for coloured South Africans on the world stage.
Tyla’s music further contributes to her cultural significance. She is popularizing amapiano, a South African music genre that blends jazz, hip-hop, soul, and house music, showcasing South African musical innovation to a global audience. Her hit song “Water” achieved unprecedented success, becoming the first solo song by a South African artist to reach the Billboard Hot 100 chart since 1968.
For Carissa Cupido and many others in South Africa’s coloured community, Tyla’s success is deeply emotional, representing a breakthrough in visibility and recognition. Growing up without seeing themselves represented in mainstream media, they now see Tyla as a beacon of hope and inspiration for a new generation. While other coloured South African artists have achieved international recognition, Tyla’s level of fame is unprecedented.
However, the scrutiny surrounding Tyla’s identity has also caused frustration and anger in South Africa. Carissa Cupido voices her dismay at the disrespect shown towards Tyla’s heritage and the dismissal of coloured identity. She argues that questioning Tyla’s self-identification is an act of erasure, invalidating the lived experiences and cultural reality of coloured South Africans.
Tessa Dooms reinforces this point, emphasizing the ongoing struggle to legitimize coloured identity and culture against external attempts to redefine or dismiss it. She criticizes the “audacity” of those in America who seek to impose their understanding of racial identity onto someone else, deeming it “not progressive” but rather a form of cultural imperialism.
As Tyla’s career continues to ascend, with a new album and a Grammy nomination, the conversation around her identity is likely to persist. Ultimately, as Michael Morris asserts, it is Tyla’s prerogative to define herself and her identity. Her self-identification as a “coloured South African” is not only valid but also deeply meaningful within her cultural context. Understanding where Tyla is from – both geographically and culturally – is crucial to appreciating the nuances of this debate and recognizing the richness and complexity of global identities. Her journey highlights the importance of respecting self-definition and navigating cultural differences in an increasingly interconnected world.
