The youngest daughter of iconic Cape Town musicians Taliep Petersen and Madeegha Anders has finally found her voice.
Fatiema Petersen, 26, has been burning up social media with her cover versions of famous songs, and says for the first time in years, her voice is finally soaring.
In an exclusive interview with the Daily Voice, Fatiema reveals that she suffered from Selective Mutism, a childhood anxiety disorder characterised by a child’s inability to speak in certain social settings, such as school, often brought on by trauma.
Fatiema is a qualified social worker and gave birth to her first child four months ago.
In August 2018, she released a video of herself singing the hit song, Never Enough, from the movie The Greatest Showman, and posted it on YouTube where it was viewed more than 85 000 times.
This gave her the confidence to start singing in public, just like her famous siblings Ashur and Jawaahier.
Opening up about her condition, Fatiema says her mutism started when her parents separated.
“When I was two-years-old, my parents got divorced, I was already a quiet child at the time and went even deeper into a shell where I never wanted to be heard, I never wanted to speak,” she says.
“I spent most of my childhood years with my two middle fingers in my mouth, sucking away at my fingers and if I was spoken to, I’d respond with my fingers in my mouth.”
The divorce and subsequent living arrangements caused her much anxiety, she says.
“Every Sunday by 6pm, we have to be washed, packed up and ready to go to the next house because we lived between two homes.
“One week was spent with my mom and the other with my dad and his new wife (convicted killer Najwa Dirk) and their kids; we had a blended family system but I did not cope well with this.
LIKE HER MOM: Madeegha Anders. Picture: Supplied
“Sometimes it was OK to be surrounded by a lot of activity of a full house because it meant all attention was off me and I wouldn’t have to speak to anyone.”
Little Fatiema created a fantasy world in her mind: “I called myself Susie.
“I used to document my thoughts and emotions in a little book I created called Susie’s Diary.
“It had stories about how I felt while being at my dad’s house, but my stepmother would find this book and every time we went there she would tear it up and throw it in the bin.
“I fell in love with fairytales and pretended to be part of a fairytale to help me get through difficult times.”
In 2006, when she was 12, she performed on stage for the first time.
“I did a song at the school concert, my dad watched me and wiped a tear and that’s when I knew I could sing because it made him so happy,” she says.
Video: Supplied
“But in that same year, I faced so many challenges, including being there to save my daddy when he was stabbed with a knife by my stepmother.
“This had me down in silent mode again, then his death in December just nailed it for me and I was in a deep dark place.
“I had to constantly remind myself to speak out, otherwise nobody would know what I was feeling or thinking.”
As a social worker, she sometimes comes across children with mutism.
“When I encounter such kids, I just want to hug them and tell them it’s going to be OK.”