Johannesburg – The horrific mass shooting in Orlando, Florida (USA) has left many people around the world devastated. SA star, Toya Delazy, has voiced her opinion about the night a shooter went into gay nightclub, Pulse, and took the lives of over 49 innocent victims.
The singer, who is in the London at the moment, paid her repects to the victims of the Orlando shooting at a vigil in Compton Street. On Tuesday, Toya posted a picture on her Instagram account, saying, “Paying my respects to #Orlando at the #vigil in crompton street .. it’s truly heart wrenching what happened (kumuncu), but we are working towards better tomorrow LOVE WILL WIN .. Aluta continua!”
The artist also took to her Facebook page on Sunday with a long post talking about why she decided to “go independent” with her song, Why Hate, which speaks out against the killing of people because of their sexual preferences.
“I created this song after Zanele Muholi called me to voice her pain about the killings of born free lesbians in south africa,” she wrote.
Toya says Zanele apporoached her because she had the power to get through to everyone. “She asked me to write the song because ‘people listen to me’.”
The Sama award winning star says that she had not received the backing she needed for the song, which is why she decided to go independent. “Why hate, was serious, but my label at the time never pushed for it, they didn’t find it important enough, it was left out of the singles and I took my own money to make the video even though I was a major signed artist.”
In her touching message the singer says she’s really hurt by the events that have taken place in South Africa, including the death of her friend who was killed because of her sexuality. “It hurts hey, when ignorance is allowed, I don’t do this for the money, I do it for the people I love, I never want any of us to go through the hell of being hated for who you are.”