There is something refreshingly uncomplicated about Carletheia.
Spend a little time discovering the Cape Town singer-songwriter and you quickly realise that behind the growing catalogue, live performances and international connections is an artist who hasn’t lost sight of why she started singing in the first place.
Her purpose is wonderfully simple: “to touch people through the music I sing.”
Music is her safe space, one of the places where she feels most comfortable expressing herself, while her songs are drawn from her own experiences and everything that life throws at her.
That authenticity is perhaps the most appealing part of Carletheia’s story — and audiences will get another opportunity to experience it when she joins an impressive all-Cape Town female line-up for Soul Sisters 2026 at the Grand Arena, GrandWest, on Saturday, 3 October at 8pm.
Carletheia will share the bill with Salome, Rene Johnson, Leokie Le Roux, Karin Kortje, Sasha-Lee Davids, Jody Williams and Andrea Fortuin, backed by a live band. Tickets start from R190 through Ticketmaster.
For Carletheia, it is another important stage in a career that continues to move forward.
From Athlone to the Grand Arena
Born Carla Trout and raised in Athlone, Cape Town, Carletheia grew up surrounded by music and began singing in church choirs when she was around five years old. Gospel, jazz, pop and classical influences all helped shape the young singer, but music wasn’t immediately going to be her profession.
Education mattered too.
She completed a Bachelor of Education degree in Foundation Phase teaching through UNISA in 2022, something she still regards as one of her proudest achievements. When asked what she would be doing if she weren’t a musician, the answer is easy: she would be a teacher.
Perhaps that background explains some of the warmth in her approach to music. There is a sense with Carletheia that she wants to connect rather than simply perform.
And Soul Sisters feels like an ideal stage for that.
The Grand Arena show celebrates female Cape Town talent across generations, placing Carletheia alongside performers who have built their own distinctive careers.
For an emerging artist, there is enormous value in being part of a bill like this — but Carletheia is not arriving without having already done considerable work of her own.
Turning everyday life into songs
Creativity doesn’t require an elaborate ritual for Carletheia.
Asked where she goes for inspiration, she simply says: “Not far.”
She finds beauty and humour in everyday experiences, which means there is almost always something around her worth writing about. One of the aspects of music she enjoys most is collaborating with other people.
Her breakthrough original single “Attention”, released in 2023, offered audiences a clearer picture of Carletheia as a recording artist. Drawing on pop, dance and Afrobeat influences, it gained valuable radio traction and entered the Kfm Top 40 in early 2024.
But her ambitions have never stopped at Cape Town.
One of the most significant developments in her journey has been her connection with acclaimed American singer, songwriter and producer PJ Morton, a five-time Grammy winner.
Carletheia went on to open for Morton in Cape Town during his Cape Town To Cairo Tour, while Morton also wrote and produced her single “I’ll Always Be There.”
That is a significant endorsement for a developing independent South African artist.
Yet what I enjoy about Carletheia’s story is that collaboration doesn’t appear to be simply another piece of music-business strategy for her. She genuinely enjoys creating with people.
Ask her who she would love to co-write with one day and she shoots for the stars:
Sia.
Why not?
Building an audience one person at a time
Social media has also been an important part of Carletheia’s development.
Regular TikTok live performances allowed her to sing directly to people far beyond Cape Town, gradually building an audience and creating relationships with listeners who might never have discovered her through traditional media.
What I find particularly interesting is that she hasn’t lost sight of the people behind those numbers.
One of her dreams is to meet the people she has connected with through social media and continue touching people through her music.
Her view of fame tells you plenty about her attitude. For Carletheia, fame should mean using your platform and influence to create positive change. Away from music, she also spends time helping at a children’s home.
There is a valuable lesson there for any emerging artist.
Build the following, certainly. Understand the platforms. Use TikTok, Instagram and every available tool.
But never forget that the followers are human beings.
Quirky, funny, energetic, daring and kind
Then there is Carletheia the person.
Artists can sometimes take themselves terribly seriously.
Carletheia doesn’t appear to have that problem.
Asked for five words to describe herself, she chooses quirky, funny, energetic, daring and kind.
What makes her stand out?
Her quirkiness.
And what does she tend to do onstage?
Pull funny faces.
She has already experienced some of the less predictable pleasures of live performance too. During one show, a drunk audience member grabbed her microphone and refused to return it. Eventually the sound engineer had to step in and rescue both Carletheia and the microphone.
Her must-do live song is “Waka Waka”, her treasured possession is her shoe collection, and if it’s her round, she will be ordering a virgin piña colada.
Her dream gig is wonderfully specific: singing the national anthem at a rugby match.
Her biggest fear?
Cockroaches.
The household chore she complains about most?
Dishes.
And her favourite word?
Food.
These details might seem small, but they reveal the person behind the performer — humour, warmth, ambition and a welcome lack of pretension.
Family remains at the heart of everything
Family is central to Carletheia’s world.
The living person she admires most is her mother, whom she describes as the most resilient and passionate person she knows. Nelson Mandela is another hero, particularly because of his ability to lead.
Musically, her tastes are equally revealing.
Her essential playlist ranges from her own “Attention” to Gracie Abrams, Olivia Dean, South Africa’s Will Linley and Brenda Russell’s timeless “Piano in the Dark.”
The song she says changed her life is Phil Collins’ “Think Twice”, because of the powerful emotions it continues to evoke in her.
It makes sense for an artist whose own purpose is ultimately about making people feel.
Up to the sky
Her later single “Up To The Sky” feels particularly appropriate when considering Carletheia’s journey.
It speaks to dreamers and people who may have put their ambitions aside, encouraging them to look upward again. Children’s voices, including members of her own family, add another deeply personal dimension to the recording.
And perhaps that is where Carletheia’s story becomes most interesting.
This isn’t an overnight-success story.
It is the journey of a young woman from Athlone who studied, taught, sang, experimented, went online, built an audience, wrote songs, released music, made radio playlists and gradually stepped onto bigger stages while connecting with internationally respected musicians.
Now one of those stages is the Grand Arena at GrandWest.
On Saturday, 3 October 2026, Carletheia takes her place among an all-Cape Town cast of female performers at Soul Sisters 2026.
And that matters.
It is another opportunity for audiences who may know her from social media or her recordings to see the performer behind the posts and songs. It also puts her alongside established Cape Town voices in what promises to be a wonderful celebration of women, music and homegrown talent.
When asked about her favourite journey so far, Carletheia says:
“My music career. It has taken me to places I never imagined I would go.”
The Grand Arena is another one of those places.
Her motto remains beautifully simple:
“Be Authentic.”
In an industry increasingly obsessed with numbers, algorithms, trends and finding the next big thing, authenticity remains impossible to manufacture.
Carletheia has the creativity, personality, voice and growing body of work. She has travelled from the church choir to TikTok, radio playlists, international collaborations and now the Soul Sisters stage.
The exciting part is seeing where the music takes her next.
And judging by her answer when asked when she plans to retire — “when I close my eyes for the last time” — Carletheia intends to enjoy a very long journey indeed.
SOUL SISTERS 2026
Saturday, 3 October 2026 | 8pm
Grand Arena, GrandWest, Cape Town
Featuring Salome, Rene Johnson, Leokie Le Roux, Karin Kortje, Sasha-Lee Davids, Carletheia, Jody Williams and Andrea Fortuin, plus a live band.
Tickets from R190 at Ticketmaster.
https://www.ticketmaster.co.za/event/soul-sisters-2026-tickets/1102567315
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