Gabrielle shows off her vocal prowess in follow-up single ‘Spaces’

Weltevreden Park songbird Gabrielle De Gama made her debut in April with her hit single ‘Nasty’. The song, which addressed issues around bullying, made headlines across South Africa as the 14-year-old made her voice known.

Her follow-up single ‘Spaces’ is a little different; it is more of a deeply personal song, which speaks to the issue of unrequited love.

The heartbroken songstress put pen to paper and wrote what would form the lyrical content for her next track, producing not only a musical work of art, but learning more about herself in the process and coming to terms with inequities in life and love.

“I wrote ‘Spaces’ as a way to channel the way I felt about a boy. What started as a friendship soon became more for me, but unfortunately not for him.

“He took my number and wrote it on his hand. We chatted over the phone for hours, and I was the first to open up about how I felt, but he didn’t feel the same.

“I thought if I met the idea of his perfect girl, I would become his girl, but it never did,” said Gabrielle.

Once again, Gabrielle’s song shares an important message about self-worth, about learning to love yourself first, before others.

Though she addresses young love with all its pains and quirks, and tells the story from a teenager’s perspective, the young singer believes that the song will be relatable to all age groups.

“I feel that music is a way of telling your story, your growth and your feelings; for me, it is very important to keep on writing and journalling my life lessons through my music, because I know that a single song can help someone else who’s going through a hard time or something similar,” explained Gabrielle.

Trained in both pop and classical music by June Kraus at the June Kraus Julliard School of Music, it equipped her with the confidence and ability to hit the high notes.

A singer, actor, model and dancer, Gabrielle is open to a variety of arts, and she is equally brilliant at each.

Her journey began when she was cast in the production Annie Junior the Musical at the People’s Theatre at the Joburg Theatre in 2018.

She played the lead role of Annie and it was there that she learnt she could sing.

Wanting to pursue this venture further, Gabrielle sought out a vocal coach who could perfect her technique and equip her with the tools geared to a promising career in music.

A force to be reckoned with, Gabrielle embraced this prowess and went on to audition for the International ARTS Talent showcase (IATS). At the audition she was awarded Best Overall Singer.

In July next year, the songstress will be heading to The International Modelling and Talent Association (IMTA) convention in New York City where she will perform in front of 300 international industry professionals for a chance to receive international recognition and possible job opportunities.

“This has been my dream from the first moment I could walk and talk; my goal has always been to perform on an international stage and now I get to do just that.

“This will give me the opportunity to fulfil my dreams, but also to come back and share my knowledge with others.

“I have a great love for community service and it excites me to be able to offer some of my experiences with others. I have never doubted this is my destiny,” said Gabrielle.

Not stopping there, Gabrielle went on to book a lead role alongside award-winning Scottish actor Iain Glen from Game of Thrones in a M-Net series titled ‘Reyka’, which was broadcast in July and was a great success.

Gabrielle also competed in the International Junior Miss SA pageant in February 2020, only a month after joining a modelling school and secured herself the Public Choice Award, amongst others.