A South African musician who has won a Grammy, Tyla, addressed accusations of denying her Black heritage by dismissing claims of being White.
Via her X page, Tyla clarified that she has never disavowed her Black origins, despite assertions made on social media.
The 22-year-old artist emphasized that her lineage comprises Black/Zulu, Irish, Mauritian/Indian, and Coloured roots.
Tyla explained that in South Africa, she is considered a Coloured woman, while in other parts of the world, she is identified as Black.
Acknowledging the variation in racial classifications across different regions and cultures, Tyla recognized that the meaning of the term ‘Coloured’ carries different connotations outside of South Africa.
She emphasized that she doesn’t expect others to label her as Coloured beyond South Africa, understanding the weight associated with that term internationally.
Tyla clarified by stating: “Yoh guys, [I have] never denied my blackness, idk where that came from… “I’m mixed with black/Zulu, irish, Mauritian/Indian and Coloured. “In South Africa I would be classified as a Coloured woman and other places I would be classified as a black woman….“Race is classified differently in different parts of the world…I don’t expect to be identified as Coloured outside of SA by anyone not comfortable doing so because I understand the weight of that word outside of SA. But to close this conversation, I’m both Coloured in South Africa and a black woman.”