Toya Delazy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Toya Delazy
Delazy in 2012
Background information
Birth name	Latoya Nontokozo Buthelezi
Born	eMahlabathini, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Origin	Durban, South Africa
Genres	Afro rave electronic jazz hip hop
Occupation(s)	Singer producer pianist dancer performer
Instruments	Vocals synth piano
Years active	2011–present
Labels	Delazy Entertainment SME Africa (former)
Associated acts	Raf Riley Joy Anonymous Sinistarr Jax Panik Teargas The Soil

Toya Delazy, whose real name is Latoya Nontokozo Buthelezi, is a talented singer, producer, pianist, dancer, and performer from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. She now lives in London. Toya Delazy is famous for her unique music style called Afro rave. This style mixes electronic sounds like techno and drum and bass with Zulu lyrics.

She has achieved a lot in her career, including being nominated for Best International Act (Africa) at the 2013 BET Awards. Her first album, Due Drop, featured popular songs like "Pump It On" and "Love Is in the Air". After this album, Toya Delazy won two awards at the 2013 SAMAs, including Newcomer of the Year.

About Toya Delazy and Her Music

Her Early Life and How She Started

Toya Delazy was born in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. She comes from a very important family. Her grandfather was Mangosuthu Buthelezi, a respected Zulu chief and a hero who fought against apartheid. Her great-grandmother was Princess Magogo, a Zulu princess and a famous composer of traditional music.

Toya started playing classical piano and writing her own music when she was nine years old. She grew up in a religious home. Sadly, her mother passed away in a car accident in 2008. Toya was also good at sports, playing hockey for KwaZulu-Natal and winning awards for discus. However, after her mother's death, she focused more on music. Toya also supports the Princess Mandisi Health Care Unit in Ulundi, which helps people with HIV/AIDS.

Toya got her big chance when she was performing live. A producer named Markus Els saw her and asked her to record some songs. These songs were then shown to Sony Music Africa, and Toya signed a two-album deal with them in 2011. Her first solo performance was at the 2011 Africa Day concert in Newtown, Johannesburg.

Albums and Milestones (2011–2018)

In 2011, Toya Delazy began working on her first album, Due Drop. This album was loved by both music experts and fans. It blended different music styles like electro hop, soul, jazz, and a cappella. The first song from the album, "Pump It On," was released in October 2011. It became very popular on radio stations. The music video for "Pump It On" was also released that year.

Another special song from the album was "Memoriam." The music video for "Memoriam" was released in 2013 and showed a very personal side of Toya. She wrote this song to honor one of her teachers who passed away in 2009, and it also reminds her of her mother. In 2013, Sony Music Africa released a special version of the album, which included a documentary film called Takes a lot to make a Classic.

Toya Delazy's second album, Ascension, came out in October 2014. The first song from this album was "Forbidden Fruit." This song was described as exciting, with strong drums and electronic sounds. After this, Toya moved to London and started her own music company, Delazy Entertainment.

In 2017, she released a mixtape called Jetlag, which had 10 songs and featured other artists. Toya Delazy also voiced the character Bliss in Cartoon Network Africa's "Power of Four" special. She even sang an African version of The Powerpuff Girls theme song!

In December 2017, Toya released her third album, Uncommodified. This album had sixteen songs and featured artists like Killason. Toya said this album was about her freedom as an artist and staying true to herself. It mixed jazz, electronic music, and hip-hop. She also produced some of the songs herself. The album included a song called "Khula Khula," which talks about gender inequality in Africa.

Afro Rave: A New Sound (2019–Present)

In 2019, Toya Delazy created her own music style called Afro rave. She describes it as "edgy Afropop" and sometimes calls it Zulu rave. In 2021, she released her fourth album, Afrorave Vol. 1, which included a song with Young Mbazo. Her first song to be called Afro rave was "Funani," which she wrote to encourage people to be themselves.

Endorsements and Fashion Style

Toya Delazy was a brand ambassador for Reebok Classics from 2011 to 2012. She said Reebok liked her fashion sense, music, and style. She represented the brand across Africa. Besides music, Toya also loves fashion. She believes fashion helps people show their freedom and who they are. She describes her style as classy and funky, mixing street style with vintage clothes. In 2013, Legit Clothing stores in South Africa and Namibia launched a clothing line inspired by Toya Delazy.

Her Artistic Style

Toya Delazy's music is inspired by her everyday life. Before creating Afro rave, she described her sound as JEHP, which stood for jazz, electro hop, and punk. She has been influenced by many different artists, including Kate Nash, John Legend, Radiohead, and Adele. Her love for music began with classical songs like "Clair de Lune." She was also inspired by Lauryn Hill after watching the movie Sister Act.

Discography

Studio albums

• Due Drop (2012)
• Ascension (2014)
• Uncommodified (2017)
• Afrorave Vol. 1 (2021)

Mixtapes

• Jetlag (2017)

Filmography

Television

Awards and Nominations