Singer Nicolene Jonck, from Jeffreys Bay, who won the Kouga Mayoral Talent Search in 2019, is on a mission to share her talent with the world, after successfully auditioning for Acting with the Stars, which could see her performing in a short film.
As a young girl, her love for music grew while watching her brother, Jaco Jonck, who was part of the AG Visser Primary School Choir and East Rand Youth Choir, perform on multiple occasions.
Furthermore, watching the Camp Rock film cemented her passion for music and performing and she knew she wanted to follow a career in music.
Despite having the desire to sing and perform, Jonck said she had a lot of self-doubt when she first started singing and learning how to play the guitar.
Thankfully, her mother, Bernadette Jonck, who has been her biggest supporter, constantly reminded her that if she worked towards her dreams, she would be able to achieve them.
With her favourite genres being pop music and country music, her first goal was to enter the Kouga Mayoral Talent in 2019, even though she did not think she would win.
“When I was on stage in front of everyone my nerves were sky high and I panicked, but as soon as I started singing some people sang along. This helped me to let go of the nerves and I loved every minute of it,” said Jonck.
“I could not believe that I had won.”
Since she won the Mayoral Talent Show, she has performed at local restaurants and the local radio station Oasis FM on numerous occasions.
Jonck said she has written many of her own songs which she has performed live and hopes to record her debut album later this year.
Following her many live performances, she said the people in her community had been very supportive.
“There have been so many people who have called me after a performance or when I do karaoke to encourage me to never stop pursuing my talent, which has given me the courage to continue with my dream,” said Jonck.
With all the support from her family, friends, and community, she is now determined to share her talent with all in South Africa.
“I hope to release my music on a national and international platform so that I can share my emotions and experiences with others who might be feeling the same way,” said Jonck.
To gain more exposure in the entertainment industry she recently auditioned for the Acting with the Stars, a platform which provides artists with the opportunity to showcase their talents and help them reach their goals through various training programmes.
Fortunately, she had a successful audition and will begin training soon which could see her performing in a short film.
“I will start four months of training soon and then I will be able to feature in a short film with help from Acting with the Stars,” said Jonck.
“Unfortunately, I do not have much information about the short film yet, but I will know more after completing the training.”
Seeing that her confidence has improved greatly since the first time she performed live at the Kouga Mayoral Talent Search, Jonck said she hopes to encourage new artists to push through their fears and never give up.
