Passionate, inspired and shimmering. Natasha Van Der Merwe carries the aura of a sweetly scented summer breeze. Sparkling energy aside, she is driven, determined and beyond ambitious.
Aside from growing up with a strong background in musical theatre and television, this ball of fire has spent 14 years practicing and perfecting her craft. She is relentless in her pursuit of the spark that only performing can ignite. She aspires to one day perform at ‘Afrikaans Is Groot’ and with talks of releasing her debut single, she’s snow ploughing straight to the top.
Natasha hopes to inspire the masses and showcase that one’s wildest dreams are possible. To her, “It’s about giving back and seeing the joy and laughter, or tears on people’s faces when portraying a role, no matter how big or small.”
Speaking of roles, Natasha stars in the local hit soapie ‘Suidooster’ with a following of 313 000 on Facebook alone. Her character is the beloved and somewhat darker-sided Suzie; a deviation from Natasha’s radiant self.
As for the similarities between Natasha and Suzie, “She’s friendly and caring about the people in her community, she loves hard, and enjoys having a good dance, as well as being somewhat spontaneous.”
For Natasha, her love lies not only in performance as an art, but also the performance of one’s heart. With an attitude of gratitude, she’s passionate about helping babies and children, especially those who have been abandoned. “Making a difference in people's lives is really important to me,” and this is evident in how she speaks about which themes are present in her art.
“I would like to portray a realness, rawness and vulnerability that people can relate to. Love seems to be working for my creative process and the story I’m wanting to tell.”
The lyrics follow a woman who is left wondering if the love she is receiving from her significant other is truly worth the weight in which he says he loves her. The accompanying music video is a powerful commentary on relationships and emphasises that actions speak louder than words.
Her next upcoming single is a commentary on society's standards of settling down, instead of staying true to yourself. She says, "The song is about waiting for the right person. Society has lead us to believe that getting married and settling down has to happen by a certain age/time in one's life, and I’m saying that no matter what, I’m not prepared to settle and I will wait for 'you'."
Grab your sunglasses, because Natasha Van Der Merwe has a bright and magical journey ahead of her.
