Miriam Tlali (11 November 1933 – 24 February 2017) was a South African novelist. She was the first black woman in South Africa to publish a novel, Muriel at Metropolitan, in 1975. She was also one of the first to write about Soweto. Most of her writing was originally banned by the South African apartheid regime. In 1995 Tlali was honoured by the South African government's Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology with a Literary Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2008, she received the Ikhamanga Silver presidential award.Tlali co-founded and contributed to Staffrider magazine, for which she wrote a regular column, "Soweto Speaking", as well as writing for other South African publications, including the Rand Daily Mail. Tlali's literary activities took her to different parts of the world, including the Netherlands, where she worked for a year, and the USA. In 1978, she participated in an international writing programme at Iowa State University, giving lectures in San Francisco, Atlanta, Washington DC, and New York, and between 1989 and 1990 was a visiting scholar at the Southern African Research Program at Yale University.
Christy Uduak Essien-Igbokwe MFR (11 November 1960 – 30 June 2011) was a Nigerian musician and actress. In her life time, she was sometimes called Nigeria's Lady of Songs and was known for her song "Seun Rere". She was the first female president of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN). She was also the chairwoman and managing director of Soul Train entertainment limited. Essien-Igbokwe sang her songs in Igbo, Ibibio, Efik, Hausa, Yoruba as well as in English. Essien's fluency in Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, English and her native Ibibio earned her an appeal which cut across tribal lines.She died in an undisclosed hospital in Lagos.Close to the time of her death, she was involved in private business, running the non-governmental organisation" Essential Child Care Foundation" involved in child welfare needs and rights as well. Her recent public outings include the Inspire Africa Benefit Concert in January 2009, where she performed alongside her son Kaka and the MTN Musical Festival, a musical show of old and new-breed musicians in 2009. Her second son, Kaka is also towing the music line. He is a hip hop artiste and producer. One of her earliest albums 'Ever Liked my Person' sold above platinum till date. So popular was one of its hit songs 'Seun Rere', that a number of African countries have sung their own version. The singer intended to spend the day with the less-privileged children as she has always done over the years. Essien-Igbokwe died on 30 June 2011 after a brief illness.
