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&! ) 3 * % " 3 F 4! % 3 ) ( "% 4% 3 '! "$ % 3 4! "( ( 3 $ ( % # %! B ! % ! .) /!4 '( 0 +)-- +*,/ ( % INT-SIZED Mariechan Luiters, a product of the very first reality stars Jamali, has come full circle. When we sat down with her after she just won with Jamali more than a decade ago, she was a shy little girl.
But she has become an inspiration to many women, keeping fit, trending in the hair department, collaborating with the hottest DJs and finally working on releasing her own debut album.
She was also honoured to create as well as sing the Masterchef SA theme song this year,
PI ve worked as a voiceover and session singer for many years so I have established a long list of relationships in the industry... so you are likely to hear my voice in elevators, in restaurants etc and never know it,” she says in a sexy husky tone.
The singer, who looks 21 but is in reality almost 30, says she has reached a point in her journey where she is finally ready to bare her soul.
My new single is called , featuring DJ Ganyani. The album is self-titled and all about sharing sides of me that being in a group
didn t allow me to share. As a group we were packaged for the group and as pop artists, so now I can share my soul. I see myself as a soulstress and performer and want you to experience my full soul, beyond pop,” she says.
Luiters, who is also a mother, says going solo was inevitable. It happened so naturally. We all came to a phase where our individual identities needed to be heard and experienced beyond Jamali. I feel so blessed to have grown up in the first generation of reality competitions. In South Africa 20
years ago, a person from my community, with my talent, would have had zero options.
I came along at the right time when hit SA and then
I entered both in 2002 and failed, then finally, I got my chance with in 2003. After we became runners-up, we were determined to prove that we should have won and I guess in the bigger scheme of things, we won the career game. Ten years together as a group taught us that the competition was merely the beginning. Surviving as a career has been about persistence, forgiving, growing and learning daily, she says.
Another two banging tracks that were released in the last few months is
featuring I worked with a myriad producers and writers, ranging from David de Monte, Devon Pyoos, Andre Scheepers, Kimosabe & Shekhinah Donnell to name but a few and it will be two years in the making. I write most of my songs though,” she says.
Music, she says, has always been her refuge. She started writing songs when she was 11 years old. She was the lead vocalist of a local jazz band and later joined a pop group called Unique Attraction.
My family is obsessed with singing. So, all I ever saw and witnessed were weekends filled with song. My grandmother and various teachers saw that I had a special gift and would nudge me and this really helped even when I doubted myself.”
The little girl from Stellenbosch grew up and has now made her home in Jozi. She beams when she talks about her other half.
I am not married yet but I do have someone special in my life. We are wonderful. We are very different but we really inspire each other. I know it s cliché, but my man is my BFF.”
About having more kids, she says: I am so happy with one child. He is all I can handle ... with my career, he is an inspiration that I m not ready to share with another, but I m not ruling it out if the time is right,” says Luiters.
Her confidence has grown from her young days as a popstar she is now seen as a trendsetter, changing her hair from sleek locks to braids and even dreads.
My hair allows me to express different aspects of my music and personality. A small symbol that represents various facets of me. We live in a country filled with rich cultures and I enjoy integrating that into my music and hairstyles, ha ha!”
Although she toured the world in tiny outfits, she was never really confident about her body.
But she has recently adopted a healthy lifestyle and learnt to accept her flaws. I try to eat as many grilled foods as possible with lean meats and veggies. I don t over-think it. I like carbs, that s why I exercise regularly. Exercise also keeps my mind and creative juices flowing,” she says.
But for Christmas she intends indulging in soul food as she spends time with her family listening to soul and jazz.
I'll be spending it with my family and my man, a super relaxing Christmas in Cape Town.