5 minutes with rising star musician Gemma Fassie

News24

13-05-2025

She's more than just her famous last name.
Gemma Fassie's passion for music ignited at just 13 years old. Now, at 25, she is continuing her musical family legacy since she is the niece to the late great Brenda Fassie with soft and smooth R&B sounds. Her music blends nostalgic melodies with modern flair.
The Cape Town native has been honing her craft since performing at open mics in high school and learning audio engineering, giving her all the creative control to be as intimate with her music as she can.
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Gemma's latest offering is with her six-track EP titled Island 22, a sonic diary that draws on R&B, neo soul and light Afrobeat sounds to showcase a journey of love, loss and self-discovery.
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She chats to TRUELOVE about the inspirations behind the project, her musical influences and the mark Brenda Fassie has left on her.
Island 22 feels incredibly personal. What does the title mean to you, and what inspired this sonic diary of love, loss and liberation?
'The title Island 22 is a lyrical diary of my journey through love and some of the most both memorable and heartbreaking moments in my life. The title takes me back to 2019 when I spent eight months on Kos island in Greece, it felt so peaceful to be on this island and experience a new culture and explore not only the island but my independence as a young woman as it was my first time being so far from home.
'The number 22 is an angel number. It means harmony, self reflection and a strong focus on practicality and achieving ambitious goals, which is what I set to do with this EP. It just made sense to combine the two and create my own island of where I can express myself, find my identity, which will allow my audience to find a destination to escape to when they listen.'
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How has the legacy of your aunt Brenda Fassie left a mark on you, personally and professionally?
'Personally, I learn more about her every day, realising that some songs I heard growing up were sung by her, which is inspiring. She was a legend! Professionally, it has made me push myself to aim for the stars. Yes, I might not be Brenda because she was one of one but knowing I come from that legacy has made me more grateful to carry on the legacy.'
The blend of 90s R&B, Afrobeats and modern pop on this project is so seamless. Who were your biggest sonic influences when creating this body of work and in your overall sound?
'My influences are so vast, from H.E.R to Tems and Amaarae. I grew up on that 90's R&B like Brandy, Janet Jackson and Erykah Badu so the influence runs deep. Shout out to my mom for her great taste of music! She definitely put me on.'
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You've grown steadily in the industry, performing at venues like The Artscape Theatre and collaborating with stations like GoodHope FM. How does Island 22 reflect who you've become over the past seven years?
' Island 22 not only shows my growth in songwriting but my comfortability in expressing myself through music and being more confident in myself and my vocal capabilities.'
You're not just a singer - you write, produce, and engineer your own music. How does wearing all these hats empower your storytelling?
'As a woman in the industry, I feel like we have the advantage of having a male in the studio who engineers and does everything else but because of my independence, I just had to learn how to do it just in case something happened or if I'm in studio and can't explain myself.
'It eventually ended up being an extra skill because I'd practice every day and it's really a flex. I now have so much creative control which allows me to be authentic and intimate with songwriting and beat selection, which has really helped me create a deeper connection with my audience'