Poetry is an innate quality – Turfloop poet
Karabo 'Karamel' Bopape (22) is also a mentor and an arts teacher at a local school in Turfloop as well as the founder of Karamel Entertainment, Turfscoop and Turflooo Arts and Music Awards.
POLOKWANE – Sepedi poet Karabo ‘Karamel’ Bopape (22) from Turfloop believes that no one wakes up one day and decide to be a poet. “Poetry is an innate quality. You usually discover it within yourself,” she said.
She told BONUS that being a poet isn’t a simple label, but one with many connotations attached to it as she sometimes mixes poetry with other African languages.
“Poetry acts like a bridge for me, it connects me and my wandering thoughts. It gives me the flow that I need in life, the purpose of expression in my mother tongue because I’m a strong believer of culture and tradition. I believe poetry is the smartest form of expression, especially when you recite it in a language that you feel comfortable in.”
Bopape is also a mentor and an arts teacher at a local school in Turfloop as well as the founder of Karamel Entertainment, Turfscoop and Turflooo Arts and Music Awards.
With her poetry session competitions, she has won the Goddess of the Mic and Poetry Africa open mic Awards in 2021, Indoni Miss Cultural SA finalist 2022/23 and Limpopo colleges female poetry representative in East London this year.
“I write and recite poetry in my mother tongue as I’m more comfortable at spilling out my thoughts in Sepedi. My love for poetry makes me frame my thoughts in poetic form. Poetry is a beautiful art where you can share your work with thousands of other people who share the love for poetry with you.”
Bopape has performed and recited her poetry at events in Polokwane and her latest one was at the Have a Finisher’s Attitude women empowerment event at Library Gardens Auditorium last month.
