PoeticSoul

Poetic Soul

Genre: Spoken Word / Afro-Soul / Conscious Artistry

Label: Independent
Founder & Director – PoeticSoul Lovehouse of Entertainment

Artist Bio

Poetic Soul is not just a name — it’s a frequency.
For over two decades, PoeticSoul has held space in South Africa’s creative consciousness as a boundary-breaking performance poet, storyteller, and curator of cultural healing. Born Lelethu Mahambehlala, the artist known as Poetic Soul transcends sight and steps fully into sound — shaping words into weapons of joy, protest, and transformation.

A visionary by design, PoeticSoul’s performances are less recital and more ritual. Whether on national stages, radio waves, or community halls, she speaks truth wrapped in rhythm, reminding audiences that the Eastern Cape is not forgotten — it is the origin.

Artistic Journey & Brand Milestones

• Her poetry is permanently engraved on the Campanile, a landmark in Nelson Mandela Bay — immortalising her art in the city’s heart.

• Has maintained a consistent national performance footprint for 20+ years, building a brand that commands respect across South Africa’s poetry and cultural scenes.

• Official poet for the Steve Biko Memorial Lecture from its inception through 2023 — an anchor voice for a legacy of Black consciousness.

• Curated and headlined Bright Sounds & Verses (2024), a disability awareness concert blending music and spoken word.

• Recognised as a 2024 Isakhono Awards Fellow, celebrating excellence by artists with disabilities.

• Featured in Africa Month 2023 as part of the African Pride Showcase, personally invited by national Poet Laureate Wally Serote.

• Host and curator of The Lamentations Concert (2021) — a post-COVID artistic reflection, featuring national music icons.

• Created platforms such as Umyalezo Poetry Project and Lovehouse Private Sessions, nurturing poetic voices and building live art communities in the Eastern Cape.

• Curated the Kulture Kapital Virtual Festival (2020) for MBDA, innovating digital stages for artists during lockdown.

• Served as an adjudicator for major festivals including Splash Festival and the Mandela Bay Arts Festival (2022–2024).

Style & Sound

Poetic Soul’s delivery blends Afro-spiritual texture, vernacular richness, and a rhythmic cadence that sits between music and mantra. Her performances are deeply emotional, socially rooted, and unapologetically Black — making her a natural fit alongside jazz, gospel, soul, and alternative spoken word genres.

Beyond the Stage

Poetic Soul is also a project manager for Abantu Development Agency, activating art for change in rural Eastern Cape regions. Her brand isn’t only about performance — it’s about purpose. She uses creativity to evoke dignity, generate employment, and bring joy to forgotten corners.

From villages like Hamburg and Lady Frere to stages in Johannesburg and Cape Town, her presence shifts energy. She mentors, she curates, she empowers — all through the lens of a poet’s truth.

Vision Forward

Poetic Soul is currently working on her debut romantic novel, a literary extension of her lyrical legacy. She also plans to expand the PoeticSoul Lovehouse brand into a platform for Afro-Spiritual artists, combining live sessions, audio releases, and visual poetry experiences.

At the heart of her brand is a mission:

To change how the Eastern Cape is perceived — not as a backdrop, but as a birthplace of brilliance.

Core Belief

“No one is standing in the way of our greatness.
Laughter is medicine. There’s always time to stop and dance.”

This is the essence of Poetic Soul — joy through struggle, rhythm through stillness, and fire through silence.

Booking & Contact

📧 admin@poeticsoullovehouse.co.za

Cell: 071 550 0362
📍 Eastern Cape, South Africa
🔗 eclives.co.za/poeticsoul
🎙️ Available for bookings, features, and collaborative productions.