Ms. Yende, who is of Zulu heritage, grew up "in a loving family and a lovely home" in a township near Piet Retief, adjacent to Swaziland.

WSJ: Culture City: One Small Stumble on the Stage, One Giant Step to Stardom

Lashinsky's choice for all-time worst renovation: A family that tore out a long wooden stairway leading up to their lovely hillside home and replaced it with a newly paved path.

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