WATCH: Yatho Kraft, more than just a voice

YAHTO, which means blue in Native American, is hot off the success of The Voice SA, where he reached the top six and will be making a guest appearance in Born To Perform SHINE! 2019.
This Alberante resident completed his degree in the musical theatre last year at the young age of 18, from Stageworx School of Performing Arts.
He sings, dances and creates and makes his own outfits for his performances. He said he has been singing before he could talk.
On The Voice SA, Yahto received three chair turns, from Lira, Francois, and Ricky, and from there decided to go with Team Lira.

“It was the most incredible experience, I would not give it up for anything. I learned so much about myself.
“The show really showed me how hard-working one needs to be in this industry. You have to keep your mind on the goal,” Yahto said.

Focus on the positive

He also learned to cut out the haters and the naysayers, as he is flamboyant and knows that what he does, does not always cater to everyone’s tastes. Not just in the choices of his songs, but also in his outfits.
He performed most of his songs in heels and glitzy outfits that he put together himself, sometimes wearing a skirt over a suit.
The garments were sponsored by Truworths and YDE and Yatho put his own spin on every outfit.

“They were very open-minded about my look,” Yahto added.

There were many negative YouTube and Facebook comments, but Yahto has learned from an early age to focus on the positive.

“You have to keep your eye on the prize and you have to keep going, no matter what,” Yahto said.

The Voice SA made it possible for Yahto to explore and grow as an artist.
He chose a wide range of songs to sing, from movie themes, rock ballads, dirty grunge, Broadway ballads and more.

“The Voice made it possible to bring out the true artist in me,” Yahto added.

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Shine your light
Yahto teaches musical theatre at Stageworx and in his free time he writes his own songs, rehearses with his band and runs his own dance group.
He also has his own clothing brand called House of Kraft.
Music is Yahto’s passion, through and through.

“I sing to heal my own wounds, but I also sing for the little girls and boys out there who haven’t yet decided if this is what they would like to do.”

He believes in embracing the person you are, even when others do not, and he is comfortable and proud of the person he is today.
In 2007, Yahto’s father died, and he recalls what his father told him at the age of four.

“He told me that life will always be difficult, the world can be a dark place, but be a light in the darkness. Shine your light brazenly for others to see.”

Grab every opportunity

Yahto is an open book and has endured much bullying over his weight and about being openly gay at school, since primary school. Today, he believes you should be yourself unapologetically and that a person should never wear a mask, and Yahto certainly does not.

“We often think people care more than they do and we think people will not accept us for who we are. It is true that there are some, but at the end of the day the people who do accept you are the ones who matter.”

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He wants to make a difference in the lives of others and he wants to do this by being who he truly is, unashamedly.

“I want to take on every challenge that comes my way and grab onto every opportunity, not only in the music industry, but in life, to further my career and be true to what I represent.”

Yahto will be performing his own personally written and produced songs at Born To Perform and will also be part of several other performances.

Born To Perform was founded in 2015 as a platform to give young performers opportunities and experiences in the arts while allowing self-development and personal growth through the love and passion for music.
Born To Perform will run from September 13 to 15 at the Teatro at Montecasino.

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