Jodi Jantjies has overcome her stutter and released her first official body of work.
From stuttering to singing! Jodi Jantjies has overcome a challenging speech impediment through releasing her debut album, Woorde.
The Mitchells Plain singer grew up singing in church alongside her twin sister, Jade. Their parents, Adam and Vanessa Jantjies are both pastors at the Deeper Life Movement Church in Tafelsig where Jantjies plays the keyboard, and her sister the bass guitar for the church band.
Jantjies has stuttered her whole life, but the moment she starts belting her high notes it stops.
“I don’t remember a time when I didn’t stutter. I used to be very shy for a very long time but I realised that I didn’t want it to hold me back anymore,” she said.
“Today I am so much more confident. Singing made it all so much better. When I am on stage, I feel free,” she said.
Having released her debut album last week, Jantjies said creating the album was an amazing experience.
“I enjoyed the song writing the most. I saw a different part of myself through the writing process.”
Jantjies said she strategically chose the title of her album. “I especially said I want it to be called Woorde because it is the very thing that doesn’t come easy to me. I am using that same thing to make something beautiful.”
She said she created the album with herself in mind.
“Sometimes you have to remind yourself that you are strong and capable. There were many times when I told myself I can’t do this because of my stutter.”
She added: “This album is a special message to me to remind myself that I am capable of creating magic.”
The rising star said with the release of Woorde she wanted to show others with a speech impediment that it can be done.
“I want to inspire people and show them that even though you might face some difficulty with a stutter, you can still do anything.”
The Mitchells Plain singer has a deep love and admiration for rock singer Karen Zoid, who featured on her first single, Gee My Die Woorde, from the album.
“This is a big milestone for me. I am a big fan of hers and I loved having the opportunity to record a song with her.”
Her older brother, Adrian Jantjies, is also a singer who has toured Spain “He recognised the talent that I have and he’s always encouraged me to go in this direction.
Her roots in the music industry were planted when she entered a song she wrote for the ATKV-Crescendo, a mentorship program, in 2016.
“I attended many workshops and had the chance to work with mentors like Danie Du Toit and Melissa Van De Spuy,” she said.
“It was such a great privilege to learn about the industry from people who have been in it for so long, and who know it well.”
Jantjies, a BA student at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), said she wanted to complete her studies in the hope that it will complement her singing career.
“I always want to make music that people will be touched by. I want to be happy and content. The pandemic has taught me that we can’t plan anything. Live in the now.”
Her advice to aspiring artists with speech impediments is to start putting in the work to achieve their goals. “Just do it. Some of us are afraid but you don’t know what might happen until you start.”