Latoya Nontokozo Buthelezi, also known as Toya Delazy, is a South African singer, producer, pianist, dancer, and performer who currently resides in London. Born in KwaZulu Natal, she was brought up as a princess but did not conform to the societal expectations placed upon her as she was a tomboy and an athlete, excelling at activities such as hockey, running, and discus throw. Her connection to music was sparked by her grandfather, with whom she listened to classical music when she was young. Toya fell in love with the piano at six years old and started writing her own songs, eventually becoming an excellent player by the age of nine.
Toya is the great-granddaughter of Princess Constance Magogo Sibilile Mantithi Ngangezinye kaDinuzulu, who was a respected guardian of Zulu tradition. She is also Mangosuthu Buthelezi’s granddaughter from the Inkatha Freedom Party and Zulu King uCetshwayo’s great-great-great-granddaughter. Toya’s lone mother passed away in a car accident in 2008, leading her to turn to music as a way to find comfort. Her father, Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi, passed away in 2017, and she acknowledged that this was a difficult fact to embrace on Twitter.
Toya identifies as a queer African woman and prides herself on her sexuality. She started her music career by enrolling in Howard College in Durban after graduating from high school and performing at events to gain attention. After moving to London, she established her own record company, Delazy Records, and put out the 10-track mixtape Jetlag. Toya’s final album, Uncommodified, was released in December 2017, which she refers to as the third and last installment of her musical trilogy, demonstrating the freedom she has attained as an artist and the significance of living a life without apology.
Toya can be found on social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.
