Poeticsoul( Lelethu Mahambehlala) is a self- trained performance poet with just over twelve years’ experience on stage. Having started out in the underground scene of Port Elizabeth’s art, PoeticSoul has since become a recognisable brand within the Eastern Cape and is one of the few poets who can proudly say they have made a career out of their talent. Having shared stages with the likes of Lebo Mashile, Mac Manaka, Sibongile Khumalo who are amongst the greats of the South African Creative Industry, PoeticSoul has earned her stripes and done her bit in showcasing the authenticity of Eastern Cape talent.

Her talent and her experiences with internationally recognised national stars have not interfered with her loyalty and dedication to the improvement of the creative industries in the Eastern Cape. Working at ease with local artists PoeticSoul has ensured that her brand in the industry is received with the respect that it deserves. Her great work in the industry can be attested to by accolades such as The Beyond The Balance Sheet awards in the Arts and Culture category 2012 and much earlier in The SABC2 Lentswe Poetry Project in 2006. Her working relations with mentoring organisations such as CANRAD, NMMU and Umhlobo Wenene Fm have contributed greatly to this poet’s 10 years in the industry which she celebrated in 2013 where she shared the stage with the likes of Dumza Maswana and Bongeziwe Mabandla. It is these very same relations with other organisations such as Isiseko Sekonjane and PE Opera House that PoeticSoul managed to stage her production Village of the Forgotten on the Main stage at The National Arts Festival 2014, in Grahamstown. It is through the success of the National Arts Festival that PoeticSoul was invited as a headline act at the launch of Favour Magazine’s first Arts Exhibition. Her unique performance style at the Favour Magazine event earned her the confidence of the Director of ECAVC Records who offered her an opportunity to have her works recorded under their artist support program. The Cd was subsequently recorded and was then launched with her band in Nelson Mandela Bay at The NMMU South Campus Auditorium on the 8 August 2015 and later launched in East London at the Mirriam Makeba Centre on the 24 October 2015. In line with her growth for the first time PoeticSoul performed with her band at the first IsiXhosa Music and Fashion Extravaganza in December 2015.