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Yahto Kraft blew viewers away on The Voice South Africa with his powerhouse vocals and queer realness. He talks to MambaOnline about reaching for stardom, body positivity and the heartbreak that fuelled his standout track, Ugly.
Nineteen-year-old Yahto has a love for performing and writing music while aiming to be “a light for those in the darkness”. He first came to our attention as one of the top 6 contestants on Season 3 of The Voice South Africa, with diva songbird Lira as his coach. The Johannesburg-based Yahto presented himself as an unashamedly queer talent, subverting norms about sexuality, gender and body image.
He recently released the lyric video for his inspiring first single Ugly, which has its roots in real-life heartbreak and rejection: When he was 16, Yahto was elated after he finally kissed a boy who’d’ been his long-time crush. He hoped to repeat and build on that moment the following weekend, but it was not to be.
“When I tried to kiss him again, he just looked at me and said: ‘Dude, I was desperate and gone, you’re not my type, you’re fat and ugly’,” Yahto reveals. “Needless to say, my little heart was shattered. I went home and put my feelings into words. Thus, Ugly was born.”
MambaOnline caught up with the charismatic rising star whose talent as both a singer and lyricist cannot be denied. Read more via MambaOnline
''Ugly" by South African Singer-Songwriter, Yahto Kraft Now available on all platforms: https://smarturl.it/kvldxi