Karabo Mahada ‘a soulful vocalist’

Rhythmic, brilliant onstage aesthetics and crowd-pleasing.

This is how Karabo Mahada’s performances have been described by family and local celebrity Lebo Mashile. As an artist from Kagiso, she now hopes to send a powerful message through her lyrics and get her audience to feel the rhythm.

Karabo’s stage name is Blaqsun and she primarily performs in the soulful Amapiano genre. She has been writing and performing since a young age and expressed how music has always been a part of her life for as long as she can remember.

I have always been passionate about performance art. As a young girl, I loved to dance and sing and would do plays at school, especially in arts and culture period.

“I would choreograph dance routines, and write and direct plays. My extra-mural activities were always centred around being on stage. My writing journey began at age 12. I enjoyed creative writing in school which would include speeches and essays, then I found poetry, the wordplay and delivery fascinated me and all this was inspired by Lebo, who I always watched growing up on the show L’atitude,” she said.

After reading prescribed poetry books at school, Karabo would also try her hand at writing poetry.

“I would then participate in school events that celebrated important historical dates on our history and recite poems to commemorate those days, among whom I did Freedom Day. In high school, I joined the Amazwi Am collective headed by Palesa Makhaphela who then introduced me to poetry sessions in Newtown on weekends for open mic sessions.”

As for being a vocalist, Karabo was raised in a home where her family adores her music. She added it was only natural for her to be compelled to sing as well.

“I think I was in Grade Eight [age 14] when I realised I could sing. It was at assembly, a normal school morning and one of the teachers asked us to sing. It was quiet for a while, an awkward silence then I went for it, the reaction is what validated me and since then I never stopped singing. I joined our church your choir and that’s how I developed and enhanced my skill in singing.”

Karabo considers her biggest accomplishment having to get her music out there in public. This way she knows it has reached someone and can provide them some healing and entertainment. She has collaborated and made meaningful connections with different stakeholders, inside and outside of the West Rand, that make the life of an artist viable and she proudly believes that many more artists will emerge because all of these people are upcoming and making moves inspire big brands and catch their attention.

The West Rand is gifted with creatives in various departments event curators, musicians, producers songwriters and I’m happy to have these relationships.

“Art was the only thing I have ever wanted to do and I plan on making sure that I become influential, I want my brand and platform to be a household name and a success. A brand that will inspire and heal.

“Music to me is equivalent to a human’s need for oxygen, I can’t live without it. If I’m not listening to it, I’m singing. Music became my doctor when I needed healing and is always there to help me endure anything. It’s an essential part of my existence and my greatest strength. I love music because it’s a constant friend, when you’re down, happy, just in any place in your life; it’s there with you.”