Wilhelmina Iimene
Whether you sound like Adele or sound like you are choking on a hot potato when you sing, singing is undoubtedly therapeutic, even if it is just for oneself.
Eighteen-year-old songbird Litisha Coetzee too knows that music fuels the soul and tends to make things feel a lot better.
“I speak about self-love, and how I manage to heal from my own insecurities and anxiety,” Coetzee told VIBEZ!
The up-and-coming musician mainly does song covers, and her amazing voice tends to give those songs a new feel, aided by her fine guitar-playing skills.
She has written three original songs about growing into a woman, but none of these have been publicly released yet. But they will be heard soon enough, she said.
Coetzee describes and appreciates music as a God-given gift, saying it paves the way and allows her to share a part of her with those who listen and resonate with her music.
“I live through music. It is how I express the most vulnerable parts of myself,” she added. The self-taught guitarist defines her music taste as “very diverse”, saying she loves Indie, soul and jazz, but her interest stretches to funk and trap music as well. Born and raised in Windhoek, Coetzee began singing when she was six years old, and started playing the guitar at age 12.
Coetzee credits her father, who used to play guitar, for her talent and inspiration to sing and play the guitar. She recalls how she would make up her own song lyrics to the tunes of her father’s guitar, while playing dress-up in her mother’s shoes and lipstick.
Recently, she performed at the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre’s ‘3 Women’ concert on International Women’s Day.
Coetzee noted that singing in front of a large crowd has taught her a lot of things; more than what singing on her Instagram live stories has ever done. “I realised how talented I actually am, and how I have so much more to learn. Every time I sing on stage, I am always nervous for the first minute. After that, I am so into the music that I feel like a superstar, which, in fact, I am,” she said, beaming with pride.
The youngster also enjoys drawing, painting and watching the sunset from her parents’ roof. She has dreams bigger than her, and wants to see herself fully engulfed in the music industry.
“I want to live through my gift. I see a great future for myself in music and in this world. I preach wellness and belief in oneself. I want to be an influential artist who helps others through my music. I just want to vibe and have fun. What a great way to do it than through what I love.”
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