Cordelia – Beauty and talent

Cordelia may be a talented artist in the Afrikaans music industry, but this beauty is no stranger to hard times and heartache.

At birth, Cordelia’s mother had no other option than to put her daughter up for adoption. A couple from Fochville, Louis and Louise Nienaber, decided to adopt Cordelia when she was six months old, and according to her, have been her pillar of strength ever since.

“My mom always told me I was their gift from God, and my dad was the biggest influence in my life. He is also the reason I decided to pursue a career in music,” she said.

Along with Cordelia, her parents adopted two more children, filling their home with the sounds of laughter. She said growing up for her was no different than in a conventional family.

“I am very close to both my brother and my sister.” When Cordelia finished school, she became a primary school teacher, with expertise in early child development evaluation.

Four years ago, Cordelia decided to venture into the world of professional music. “I didn’t choose music; it chose me. My dad was a guitarist and a song writer, so it naturally rubbed off on me.”

A few years ago, Cordelia decided to look for her birth mother, as she had so many questions and needed closure. “To me, finding my birth mother and meeting her was a path of forgiveness and a method of moving on,” she explained.

Cordelia said she needed to forgive her biological mother, and also thank her for giving a better life, by making the decision to give her up as a baby.

When Cordelia is not making a name for herself in the music industry, she takes on numerous projects involving children’s homes around Gauteng.

She is currently working on a children’s book about acceptance. “The message I am carrying in my book is no matter where you come from, God accepts you.”

Cordelia described herself as a friendly, humble and witty person, who loved a challenge. She also admitted her most unappealing flaw was her road rage. “I probably use my flip finger a lot when I’m on the road,” she laughed.

She recently performed at the Vodacom Newcastle Winter Festival, where she had guests in awe of her angelic voice and friendly personality.

Committee member, Quentin Ferreira, said she was a beautiful person on the inside, as well as on the outside. Cordelia said although she started life on a bad footing, it never got her down. Instead, she thought it only made her a stronger person.

“It does not matter where you come from; what’s important is where you are headed,” she concluded.

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