Grammy-winning South African singer Tyla has addressed claims on social media that she isn’t black.
Some rival fans suggested that the 22-year-old singer is “white/Indian” and not black.
In a statement shared on her X page Thursday night, Tyla clarified that she is of mixed race, with black/Zulu, Irish, and Mauritian/Indian ancestry.
She explained that in South Africa, she would be classified as “Coloured,” but outside of her country, she is considered a black woman.
The ‘Water’ hitmaker emphasized that she has never denied her black heritage.
The statement read, “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 in other places, I would be classified as a black woman. Race is classified differently in different parts of the world. I understand the weight of the word ‘Coloured’ outside of SA, but to close this conversation, I’m both Coloured in South Africa and a black woman.”
