“Your presence will forever be missed”: Tyla pays a heartfelt tribute as she mourns grandmother’s death

Tyla has paid a heartfelt tribute to her grandmother, who recently passed away. The South African musician took to her Instagram story, announcing the news on September 1, 2025.

She thanked her grandmother for the love, the stories, and for shaping her into the person she has become as an artist. She wrote:

“I thank God for your presence in my life. Thank you for all the love and all the stories you would tell me. You were always proud of your mother and called us royalty because of her.”

The 23-year-old showed gratitude to her grandmother for teaching her about her Zulu heritage. She concluded her message by adding,

“Your presence will forever be missed. The sweetest soul.”

The rising artist has embraced her diverse heritage, talking about her Indian, Zulu, Mauritian, and Irish blood. She was born and raised in Johannesburg and has spoken about her multicultural identity in interviews.

Here is what we know.

All about Tyla’s multicultural roots

Tyla’s real name is Tyla Laura Seethal. Her multicultural background has influenced her music. She studied mining engineering at university.

The Water singer has sparked discussions about her race and identity on social media platforms as she refers to herself as a "colored South African.” According to a report in the BBC, the 23-year-old singer made a video about her mixed heritage on TikTok before she rose to fame as a celebrated artist.

In the clip, she was seen with Bantu knots, a traditionally Zulu hairstyle, and a beaded necklace as she declares herself as “colored.” But, since the Americans see the word as a slur, she ended up receiving backlash. However, in her South African community it is seen as a part of their culture.

In June 2024, Tyla took to X to address the controversy around her cultural identity. She wrote:

“Yoh guys. Never denied my Blackness, idk where that came from. I’m mixed with Black/Zulu, Irish, Mauritian/Indian, and Coloured. In Southa 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.”

She further added:

“I don’t expect to be identified as Coloured outside of Southa 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 women…As a woman for the culture. It’s and not or…with that being said ASAMBEEE.”

Before the South-African singing sensation was recognised as an artist, she shared dance videos and music covers on TikTok, which contributed to launching her musical career. A report in Topping Africa stated that her family also played a major role in it.

Her mother encouraged her to sing, her aunt taught her belly dancing, and her grandmother, who recently passed away, honed her singing skills; she herself participated in singing competitions.

Tyla signed to Epic Records in 2021. During that time, she was 19 years old. She released her self-titled debut album in 2024. Her single, Water, climbed to No. 1 on Billboard’s U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart in October 2023, according to a report in Billboard.

Reportedly, her Sophomore album is expected to be released in 2025; however, the release date has not been announced yet.

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