Katia De Vallier opens up about losing her voice, finding her strength again and inspiring others to “do the things” they dream of.
South Africa (08 April 2026) – Katia De Vallier is taking the music scene by storm. With a recent international music nomination, she has been exploring the deeper meaning behind her music and the journey she has taken to get where she is today.
Katia will joke that her only talent is singing, so when that was nearly stripped away from her, the emotional rollercoaster was rough.
Diagnosed with a nodule on her vocal cords, she bravely went into surgery to have it removed; however, a complication post-surgery nearly changed it all!
“Recalling the experience stirs up a lot of emotion in me. My whole life, I was never particularly talented at much apart from being able to sing. It was my way of sharing joy and communicating with the world through the language of music so the thought that it go have all gone “poof!” had me near grief stricken. I was in denial when the recovery from my nodule operation was slow, and when the Dr told me that I had haemorrhaged a vocal chord from being sick post-surgery, I went into a panic.”
While Katia tried her best to stay positive during her recovery, she couldn’t shake the fear that her voice would never be the same again.
“It was such a dark place that even when I began to physically recover my mind was still telling me that I couldn’t do it. However, this was a big lesson in standing up to my own limiting beliefs. I was disciplined with my vocal exercises, made sure that I stayed hydrated and enlisted the help of my amazing vocal coach Christine Ludwig.
A near loss like this serves a health dose of respect and perspective for what we have to offer the world in terms of our talents.”
Pushing through that mental barrier was a big moment; Katia finally felt brave enough to use her voice again. When a call from the Portuguese embassy came, she knew her moment to get back on the proverbial horse had arrived.
“I received a call from the Portuguese embassy asking me to sing the national anthem at one of their events. I had done this same gig for the past three years alongside the Tshwane Police Band. The call came roughly 5 months post op. I had to pull myself together and get back out there.
Rehearsal with the band was tough. My voice cracked right in the middle of one of the lines, so my confidence was at an all-time low. I was scared to the core. Performance day arrived, and there I was on stage in front of many political dignitaries about to open a formal event. I took a deep breath and sang as I had always done.
On that triumphant closing note of Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika, there was my moment of feeling triumphant, like I am back. I am really going to be okay.”
Katia shares that performing anthems is always tough and that you cannot mess that up. Thankfully, despite her voice threatening to act up, the performance went off without a hitch.
“I got so much wonderful feedback from the attendees that, although I knew I wasn’t where I wanted to be, I was going to get there again and that this time I would sing whenever and wherever people would listen to me without constantly judging myself or questioning whether or not I was good enough to be doing what I loved.”
Self-belief is a powerful tool to have in one’s arsenal, and once Katia realised she was capable of anything she set her mind to, the world became her oyster.
Her song “Wild, Wild Woman” has been dubbed an anthem in its own right for so many, and it speaks to the new season in Katia’s life.
“Being a wild woman and embodying that kind of energy means having the courage and self-belief to chase the things that you want, and even if you are afraid, to be willing to still put yourself out there. A wild woman doesn’t fear the judgment of others because she knows that she is walking her authentic truth and finding her way to the life she has dreamed of. She is kind and emanates good wherever she goes, but there isn’t anyone who is going to stop her from finding her ultimate happiness.”
Through her vulnerability, self-belief, and desire to share her story, Katia found that listeners really connected with it, creating a powerful connection to her music. The conversation around mental health and loss, breaking the stigma these come with, and encouraging people to seek help when they need it most, has become a big part of how Katia is using her voice!
“Vulnerability is sharing yourself truthfully. It’s living an authentic existence. I think people crave things that are authentic, that they can rely on, and that they can trust are real. Finding someone who is authentic creates a sense of normality. The feeling of “Wow, this person has had similar experiences to what I have. I’m not alone in what I feel or what I have experienced.” Therein lies the connection.”
“One life lost because an invisible, often stigmatised condition is one life too many. If as a society, we can reach a place where it’s completely run of the mill to say things like, “I’ve just had a great session with my psychologist.” and not have an ounce of judgement or people even wondering why you go to a “shrink” then more people would/could get the beginning stages of the treatment that they need to combat the demons they face alone because they are afraid to say otherwise. In recent years, I think stigma has improved but we can do better.”
As she so beautifully puts it, no one deserves to be imprisoned by their minds. She is advocating for people to live happy and beautiful lives; many of her songs amplify this. Many of her songs are aimed at inspiring change and giving hope to people.
“Music and melody have such a powerful effect on the human brain. They can literally influence brain chemistry, particularly neurotransmitters linked to emotion and stress. So, I hope that listening to my songs puts people in a better mood and listening to the lyrics become mantra-like.”
Her song, Do The Things, which has been nominated for the Rap/Hip-Hop/Dance Performance category at the International Portuguese Music Awards, is an encouragement for people to take action, to go out there and do the things!
She jokes that even Wild, Wild Woman has a place to uplift but that Wild, Wild Man didn’t quite work as an alternative version.
“I hope people are moved to go and do the things they dream of after repeatedly hearing that line or listening to “wild, wild wooommaaannnn” I hope that leaves you with wild woman energy, even if you are a guy. 😉 (Wild, wild man didn’t work in the syllable structure or we could have done an additional version…)”
As we wind down our chat with Katia, we tap into the discussion of success. After everything she has been through, how would she define success now? Not just as an artist, but as a human?
“Success is getting out of bed every day with a deeply grounded sense of purpose and the inherent desire to journey towards your goals. It’s being able to find happiness and joy along the journey and being fully present to enjoy every moment.”
Katia’s hope for people who listen to her music or hear her story, is one of no limits and kindness!
“Don’t ever limit yourself and think that you are not worthy of your goals or that your dreams are impossible to reach. Find joy in the process of moving towards them and don’t hold yourself back. You are worthy, go “do the things” and let no one convince you otherwise.”
You can listen to Katia’s music on all streaming platforms and follow her exciting journey via Facebook or Instagram. Her latest song, Hero in a T-Shirt, is now live!
Sources: GTG Interview
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