Tyla: South African singer sparks culture war over racial identity - MyJoyOnline

South African musician Tyla has found herself in the middle of an online argument surrounding her racial identity. The use of the term "coloured" to describe herself has caused controversy in a culture war.

Before becoming popular, the 21-year-old created a TikTok video where she expressed pride in her mixed-race background.

She styles her curly hair into Bantu knots and wears a beaded necklace that is part of her traditional attire. The clip she adorns has the phrase "I am a coloured South African" printed on it, which she takes pride in displaying.

The celebrity expresses that this suggests that she has a diverse background from various cultural influences.

The video was created with the intention of sharing a personal aspect of her life with viewers. However, instead of receiving positive feedback, her video about her race has sparked controversy online, particularly in the United States.

While Americans view the term as a derogatory remark, the South African society of Tyla perceives it as a vital component of their heritage. In South Africa, it is a significant attribute of their identity that is acknowledged on an official level.

An individual from the United States who utilizes X (previously called Twitter) made a statement indicating that referring to someone as "coloured" will not be tolerated on the platform. Additionally, the individual suggested that if someone specifically requests to be referred to as such, it could have negative consequences for their career.

She is attempting to expand into the United States market, but she cannot use that specific term here. However, she may still be able to use it in other regions.

In America, the term dates back to the era of Jim Crow laws, when discriminatory policies were established in Southern states to subjugate African Americans following the abolition of slavery.

In the past, there were signs indicating segregation in public places such as water fountains, toilets, and bus seats. These signs divided people based on their race and were labeled as "whites only" or "colored only."

The traumatic past marked by racial discrimination resembles the one experienced in South Africa prior to the termination of white-supremacy in 1994.

Apartheid was a political system in which white South Africans were given higher status and benefits based on their race.

Back in 1950, the Population Registration Act was enforced and it commanded individuals to be categorized under one of four race categories which were white, black, Indian, or colored. Furthermore, there was a separate law that determined residential areas based on one's race.

According to Michael Morris, who is in charge of media affairs at the South African Institute of Race Relations, the history of the coloured community is intricate but embodies the essence of South Africa.

The group comes from different backgrounds but were forced to unite during the era of apartheid.

According to Mr. Morris, their ethnicity is a blend of black, white, and Asian ancestry, which was shaped by their origins in southern Africa and is unique compared to any other ethnicity. This statement was given to the BBC.

Due to this diverse ancestry, individuals in the community were occasionally mocked and disregarded in a society fixated on labeling and dividing people into categories.

Marike de Klerk, who was the spouse of the last president of South Africa during the apartheid era, made a statement about the coloured population with regards to the segregation policies implemented under the regime. She stated that they were the individuals who remained after the separation of nations, and were therefore considered as those who were left behind.

Despite the intricate past, individuals such as Tyla who classify themselves as people of mixed race have created a diverse and vibrant cultural fabric.

The most recent population survey in South Africa shows that individuals of mixed ethnicity constitute 8.2% of the total population.

Lynsey Ebony Chutel and Tessa Dooms, authors of Coloured: How Classification Became Culture, both have roots in Eldorado Park, a colored township located in Johannesburg.

The locals are depicted as a diverse group with varying looks, tongues, inflections, and ancestries.

Ms Dooms shared with BBC that she didn't identify as a mixture of black and white. In her opinion, being mixed indicated belonging to a diverse community that was influenced by religion, music, and large group dance.

When Ms Chutel visited Columbia University in New York, she discovered that her identity, similar to Tyla's, became a subject of discussion. This happened after she unveiled that she was a woman of color hailing from South Africa on her very first day.

Her classmates didn't like it, and her roommate approached her to tell her that the American students had been made to feel uneasy.

She had no other option but to protect her individuality, heritage, and traditions while also trying to alleviate the unease of those around her.

She lets out a heavy exhale as she expresses her comprehension that it's an offensive term, but acknowledges that there are further details to consider.

She cautions that it can be unsafe for Americans to attempt to hold the position of a judge when it comes to identifying as black, since there isn't just one manner of being black, or even being of color.

Carissa Cupido, a radio personality in South Africa, shares that she was raised in Mitchell Plains, a town dominated by people with coloured skin in Cape Town. Although she was labeled as coloured, she has learned to embrace, acknowledge, and honor her cultural identity.

Two years ago, Tyla was interviewed by Ms. Cupido who described her accent, natural hair, and enthusiasm as being very distinct and noticeable.

Watching Tyla rapidly become famous has given her chills, she includes.

The famous artist is spreading the popularity of amapiano music, which is a mix of different music styles from South Africa such as jazz, hip-hop, soul and house that has been slowed down.

Tyla's popular tune "Water" made history as the initial solo track by a South African artist to land on the Billboard Hot 100 list since the release of Hugh Masekela's "Grazing in the Grass" in 1968.

Frequently, when discussing her on the radio, Ms. Cupido admitted to the BBC that she must contain her emotions to prevent crying.

The feeling comes from seeking colourful representation in magazines while growing up, but never being able to find it.

As she enters her early thirties, Tyla has made her appearance.

She expressed her enthusiasm for the upcoming group of girls with diverse skin color to witness Tyla and receive encouragement and motivation from the way she is portrayed.

Several South African musicians of different skin colours have gained worldwide recognition, such as rapper AKA, who unfortunately passed away this year. However, none of these musicians have achieved the same level of success as Tyla.

Ms Cupido expresses happiness when talking about Tyla's achievements, but her mood changes to frustration regarding the constant examination surrounding the identity of the celebrity.

She expressed her disapproval and deemed it disrespectful to belittle someone's lifestyle solely because it is foreign to one's own understanding.

Tyla claims that those who ignore her ancestry are essentially eliminating and devaluing not only her own presence but also that of her family. This ultimately has an impact on how they comprehend, observe, and operate in the world.

According to Ms Dooms, safeguarding her community has been an ongoing effort even before the Tyla incident. She asserts that they are struggling to establish the validity of what they have constructed and the customs they have developed.

For those in the United States who are attacking Tyla, she has a message: "It's completely nonsensical to challenge somebody's sense of identity and substitute it with your own beliefs. This behavior is far from being forward-thinking."

Having a new album set to release in the beginning of next year and having been nominated for a Grammy, Tyla will probably continue to make waves in the music scene and spark more discussions about her true persona for a while.

Mr Morris believes that there should be no judgement towards Tyla when it comes to her identity. It is solely up to her to decide how she identifies and what name she prefers to go by.

"It's not anyone else's concern."

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