At a time when a majority of ’80s bubblegum and disco stars had either gracefully bowed out or regressed to legacy status, Brenda Fassie proved her unrivalled staying power with a fierce best-selling album run, kicked off with 1998’s Memeza and followed by Nomakanjani? (1999) and Amadlozi (2000). Her 15th overall release, 2001’s Mina Nawe continued that momentum with “Ngohlala Ngi Nje,” a mammoth gospel single that did a better job packing dance floors across South Africa and surrounding countries than assimilating the church’s lexicon. So did the emotive “Vuma,” which juxtaposes Fassie’s soprano with the indigenous Zionist church-esque dilatory baritones, encouraging repentance. But there was more than just gospel here—the jovial “Wewe (African Wedding)” and “Lekwaito” borrow the clanging guitars of the DRC’s soukous music and pairs them with the midtempo rhythms more palatable to a South African audience in the kwaito era. Haunting marimbas carry “Ubani Ozokufa?”, a foreboding tune about ants infesting her yard, an omen for death—chilling, considering the icon’s untimely passing three years later. “Ngik’Tholile” is built on maskandi guitars, anchored by the pantsula-dance-recalling drum pattern and thick kwaito bassline which also carries “Uyang’Embarasa.” A well-rounded project showcasing Brenda Fassie and longtime producer Chicco Twala’s undeniable chemistry, Mina Nawe closes with the pop ballad “Life Is Going On,” in which MaBrrr sings sincerely about a relationship at the crossroads.