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CC LAMONDT South African singer FINDING HER SPACE IN KENYA

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11 years ago

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Three years ago, South African country singer-songwriter CC Lamondt made the bold move to leave South Africa and settle in Kenya. But her rise to success has not been without its struggles. From battling cancer to juggling multiple careers and family, the AI records (Sony representatives, East Africa) artist speaks to ESTHER AKELLO on rising above the odds, growing into her own and establishing new roots.

C C Lamondt is assertive. You can count on her to give her honest opinion any day. Fiercely driven and tenaciously dedicated, the South African born singer describes herself as an overachiever. The 43-year-old mother of two has worked as a singer, model, studied medicine, forensic psychiatry, business, and catering and hotel management. A feat she achieved while running family businesses, raising children and juggling studies. The word ‘superwoman’ comes to mind.

Born Catharina (Cat to most of her friends) in Mpumalanga Province in South Africa, CC has always believed in reaching for her dreams. “I cannot stand not knowing something. Every time I get frustrated with something, I have to learn more about it,” she says. Growing up, her biggest influence was her family especially her late father – a farmer, businessman and singer for the South African men’s choir, with a knack for playing musical instruments including the piano, guitar, harmonica and the accordion. “I had lots of ideas growing up. People thought I was ridiculous but my father, with whom I enjoyed a special bond, encouraged me to dream my fairy castles and he would paint them for me,” explains CC.

It was also her father who taught her that to be successful one had to work hard, sometimes starting from the ground up. Coming from a strong musical background, CC ventured into music at a young age even winning several competitions. At 14 years, her mum sent her to Paris to work as a model. However, CC returned home after six months and signed with a modeling agency in South Africa. But it was Sol Kerzner, CEO of Sun International, who discovered her after hearing her singing at one of the concession stands at the Sun City Resort.

While CC considered music as a career, her parents did not and after much pleading from them, she enrolled to study drama. She dropped out after realising she had no passion for it and started her own business selling foil balloons.

Tragedy strikes…

At 25, CC, already married and with a son, enrolled to study forensic psychiatry. She was also working for a local company, and her work involved traveling back and forth between South Africa and the US. It was only a matter of time before she burnt out. Soon she started complaining of fatigue and abdominal pain and on checking with her gynaecologist, it was revealed she had ovarian cancer. Doctors said she would never have children again. She was devastated.

However, shortly after the diagnosis, CC got pregnant with her daughter Ayla. To add the icing on the cake, the cancer went into remission. “This is the most amazing thing about the human body. When you become pregnant, your body wants to protect that baby with everything in it,” she remarks. Her joy knew no bounds.

Unfortunately, what followed thereafter reads like a Greek tragedy. CC found herself fighting for her life once more, and in more ways than one. Shortly after Ayla was born  her father and idol got a heart attack and passed on. Her marriage, following years of a busy work schedule, had taken a beating and was falling apart. As if this was not enough, a year and a half after Ayla’s birth, the cancer resurfaced and CC was forced to go into chemotherapy and had to drop her singing engagements.

“It was a vanity thing for me. My hair fell out. It was terrible looking at myself in the mirror to see my body and image disintegrating and knowing I could not
do anything about it,” says CC who also loathed pity. But even with all the misfortunes in her life, CC chose not to tell her mother that she had cancer as she feared the blow would be too devastating for her. She finally told her the truth nine months later during family vacation. As expected, her mother did not take kindly to being kept in the dark. Thereafter, CC also quit treatment. “I honestly believe part of the reason the cancer came back was because I had lots of issues subconsciously that I had not dealt with. So I quit treatment, made lifestyle changes, ate better, joined support groups, and found solace in God. This was one battle I was not ready to lose,” intones CC.

And while she eventually beat the cancer to claim her survivor title, her marriage unfortunately did not. She and her husband divorced. Still, CC immersed herself in her newfound revelation, taking freelance jobs, writing articles, short stories, and poetry for magazines to sustain her and the kids. She also started singing and writing songs again. She credits the strength to push on to her family and especially her elder sister Anna.

Resuming normalcy…

With her life, passion and health seemingly in sync, CC bounced back, graduating as a forensic psychiatrist and raising her children. Her music also took off. Offers for performances and original songs for ads, and jingles poured in.

“My kids are absolute gypsies,” chuckles CC. “I took them for performances with me and sat them at the front row where I could see them,” she says. In 2005, she met Wolfgang Barnard, a policeman, during one of her field rounds as a consultant for the South African Police. The rest, as they say, is history. The two tied the knot in 2008 and Ayla and Dyllan proudly call him dad.

The beat goes on…

CC made the decision to go into music full time nine years ago. Her decision has gone full circle. In her capacity as a singer-songwriter, she has collaborated with powerhouse brands including M-Net, SABC, Country Music Association of USA, Victoria Secret, SA Breweries, and Southern Sun. Her songs, which she describes as a blend of country, jazz, blues and pop, have also been picked up by other artistes and featured in TV shows in South Africa and internationally.

She also started a mentorship programme in South Africa for upcoming musicians, capitalising on audio media platforms such as radio to create recognition and exposure for them and audiences alike to what she calls authentic African music. “There’s a natural harmonisation and story telling to African music that cuts and lives through generations. It’s timeless. Somebody needs to stand up and say let us go back to our roots,” says CC. “A lot of music now sounds the same, with sub-standard lyrics and computerised melodies that fizzle out quickly,” she adds. Since moving to Kenya in 2012 following her husband’s appointment as country manager for a multi-national oil and gas industry solutions provider, Global Geophysical, the artist has worked fast to find her footing. She has registered her own events and entertainment company, Lamondt International. She is also in collaboration talks with local producers and bands and has also started her own band, Cat and the Knights. She has also taken popular local country crooner, Elvis ‘Sir Elvis’ Otieno, under her wing. She was highly involved in composing and producing his debut album along with South African Producer Tony Ridgeway.

She has also worked with vocalist Victor Muli and Andrew Stanley from the band Mojo. Country music is the heart of CC’s musical career and she hopes her latest project, Kenya’s inaugural Boots and Hats Country Festival slated for this month, will be an annual event. “I wanted to start a tradition where Kenya can host the best country musicians in the world,” concludes the multi-faceted country singer and songwriter.

akello@parents.co.ke

Published in March 2015

 

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Cover Story

Elizabeth Nzisa: The Firstborn Who Became a Mother Overnight

Published

3 weeks ago

on

March 19, 2026

By

While most teenagers spend their days focused on school, friendships, and dreams for the future, Elizabeth Nzisa, fondly known as Shiku, was forced to grow up much faster than she ever imagined. At only 17 years old, she found herself taking on the role of a mother to her three younger siblings after her family was hit by tragedy not once, but twice.

Her story, shared in an emotional interview, is a powerful reflection of strength, sacrifice and the deep bond between siblings. Elizabeth recalls the moment her life changed completely. Her mother died while giving birth to their youngest sibling, a baby boy. In the middle of that painful loss, their father walked away from the family, leaving Elizabeth alone with a newborn and two other young children to care for.

Mama yetu alipass 2024, Feb. Alipass akipata haka katoto kadogo. Dad naye akatuacha akaenda

 

Becoming a Mother Too Soon

She explains that she had no choice but to step up and become the parent in the house. She raised her youngest brother from the day he was born, and to this day he calls her mum, not knowing she is actually his big sister. That detail alone shows how much responsibility she carried at such a young age. She became the provider, the protector, the caregiver, and the emotional support for her siblings while she was still trying to understand life herself. With little help from relatives, Elizabeth had to find ways to survive, balancing school when she could, doing small jobs and making sure her siblings were fed, safe and loved.

The journey was not easy. She faced financial struggles, emotional exhaustion, and the pressure of trying to stay strong even when she felt overwhelmed. There were moments when she doubted herself and wondered if she was doing enough. Still, her story is not about defeat. It is about endurance. Elizabeth talks about finding strength through faith, support from the people around her, and the determination to keep her family together no matter how hard things became.

Over the years, she made sure her siblings stayed in school, had food on the table, and grew up feeling loved despite everything they had lost. What could have been a completely broken home became a family held together by her sacrifice and commitment.

Many viewers reacted emotionally, saying the story moved them to tears. Some described firstborn daughters as second mothers, while others said her life shows the kind of courage people rarely see but should never forget.

 

Click here to read our March issue 2026

Continue Reading

Cover Story

Elizabeth Nzisa: The Firstborn Who Became a Mother Overnight

Published

3 weeks ago

on

March 19, 2026

By

While most teenagers spend their days focused on school, friendships, and dreams for the future, Elizabeth Nzisa, fondly known as Shiku, was forced to grow up much faster than she ever imagined. At only 17 years old, she found herself taking on the role of a mother to her three younger siblings after her family was hit by tragedy not once, but twice.

Her story, shared in an emotional interview, is a powerful reflection of strength, sacrifice and the deep bond between siblings. Elizabeth recalls the moment her life changed completely. Her mother died while giving birth to their youngest sibling, a baby boy. In the middle of that painful loss, their father walked away from the family, leaving Elizabeth alone with a newborn and two other young children to care for.

Mama yetu alipass 2024, Feb. Alipass akipata haka katoto kadogo. Dad naye akatuacha akaenda

 

Becoming a Mother Too Soon

She explains that she had no choice but to step up and become the parent in the house. She raised her youngest brother from the day he was born, and to this day he calls her mum, not knowing she is actually his big sister. That detail alone shows how much responsibility she carried at such a young age. She became the provider, the protector, the caregiver, and the emotional support for her siblings while she was still trying to understand life herself. With little help from relatives, Elizabeth had to find ways to survive, balancing school when she could, doing small jobs and making sure her siblings were fed, safe and loved.

The journey was not easy. She faced financial struggles, emotional exhaustion, and the pressure of trying to stay strong even when she felt overwhelmed. There were moments when she doubted herself and wondered if she was doing enough. Still, her story is not about defeat. It is about endurance. Elizabeth talks about finding strength through faith, support from the people around her, and the determination to keep her family together no matter how hard things became.

Over the years, she made sure her siblings stayed in school, had food on the table, and grew up feeling loved despite everything they had lost. What could have been a completely broken home became a family held together by her sacrifice and commitment.

Many viewers reacted emotionally, saying the story moved them to tears. Some described firstborn daughters as second mothers, while others said her life shows the kind of courage people rarely see but should never forget.

 

Click here to read our March issue 2026

Continue Reading

Cover Story

Endometriosis and sex: How to make intimacy pain-free

Published

1 month ago

on

March 11, 2026

By

There is no doubt that endometriosis can affect a woman’s way of life. The condition slews a couple of conditions, painful sex being one of them. Penetration pulls and pushes any tissue growth behind the vagina and lower uterus.

Although symptoms may differ from woman to woman, here are some things you can do to lessen your pain and ensure you have some good time:

Take a dose of painkillers

Take an over the counter painkiller that sits well with your body before intercourse and incase pain persists, take another one as prescribed.

Track your cycle and try at certain times of the month

Most women with endometriosis experience excruciating pain during their period and ovulation. Keep track of your cycle so that you can know when you are ovulating. You can use apps like my calendar and flo period tracker to track your periods. This will help you know when best to engage in sexual intercourse.

READ ALSO: Crucial Facts About Endometriosis Everyone Should Know About

Use lube

Vaginal dryness is not something to be ashamed of and if you happen to have it, lube should be your best buddy. Make sure to use any silicon or water based lubricant anytime you feel like your vagina is dry. Ensure the application is of good amount to achieve a wet area.

Explore alternatives

Talk with your partner about things that turn you on and bring you pleasure. Just to mention a few; mutual masturbation, foreplay, kissing and mutual fondling. Sex does not have to mean intercourse.

Try different positions

Experimenting different positions can teach you and your partner which ones hurt and the ones that bring direct pleasure with no or less pain. Positions that are considered better vary from person to person so take the time to explore and learn yourself with your partner.

Find the right rhythm

Finding the right rhythm can help you experience less discomfort during sex. Quick thrusting or deep penetration can aggravate pain. Talk to your partner about that which you do not like and find ways that will satisfy the both of you like exchanging positions so that you can control the speed and rhythm.

Bottom line

Intimacy does not have to be boring, painful or make you hate the condition that you have. Talk openly about your feelings around sex and penetration and what would help to ease your concerns.

Our FREE  e-paper March Issue is here!
As we celebrate our women this month, we bring you the best stories and the most inspiring features to get you going.
Click HERE to read!

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