An award-winning Cape Town singer has rebranded himself, complete with a new identity.
Jason Orpheus, formerly known as Latheem Gabriels, has returned to the music industry with a brand new single.
The 40-year-old former Mitchells Plain resident says the Covid pandemic had changed his perspective and gave him a chance to reflect on his life and music.
The singer/songwriter is trained in the guitar and violin, while his soulful voice and tone are reminiscent of Alanis Morissette meets Tracey Chapman.
He says: “At the time I decided to rebrand, I had already gone silent for almost a year [2023]. I was re-evaluating my life, my purpose, my dreams.
“After the pandemic and lockdown, I felt utterly burned out.
“I spent so much time working on myself as an artist, as a human being, that when it all lifted, I didn’t feel like the same person anymore.
“I knew the only way I could express who I was now, was to rebrand.
“I wanted a name that spoke to who I had been, but more importantly, who I wanted to be.
“Jason was my second name [given at birth] and Orpheus Crescent was the street I grew up in Eastridge.
“Both these words reminded me of a time when I was a child; innocent and new and full of possibility. Jason Orpheus made me feel reborn.”
Now living in Woodstock, Orpheus recently released his single Trainwreck, in which he tackles the topic of ‘sex vs love’ and how it gets confused.
“I’ve experienced both sides of the fence. When searching for love, we can often settle for sex as an easier quick fix.
“I've been someone who has been toxic to a relationship by using someone as a quick fix, and I've also been someone who has been used and left heartbroken by a toxic partner.
“I think we all experience both sides of the coin at some point on our journey toward love.
“Perhaps even at various times in our lives, we experience being that trainwreck.”