Dato Seiko opens wounds that heal at Maitisong

Sharon Mathala | Wednesday December 3, 2025 06:00

Born Katlego Ntirang, Dato Seiko has come a long way from the young woman who first broke into the music scene with a cover song that set social media ablaze.

By 2021 she had stamped her artistry with her debut EP, Grace Effect.

After witnessing her latest offering, it has become clear just how much she has grown. The once-reserved songstress has blossomed into a deeply spiritual artist, channelling an inner self and maturity that radiated throughout the night.

Even before she graced the stage, the ambience hinted at what was to come. Candles lined the platform and true to the event’s title, one could almost taste the promise in the air this was not just a concert it was a point of healing.

When the curtains finally parted, Dato Seiko emerged barefoot, flanked by a live band and backup vocalists against a meticulously designed set.

She eased the audience in with ‘The Loving Song’, its emotional pull setting the evening’s tone, before gliding into famous ‘The Vow’ song, her single inching toward half a million views.

But it was her tribute to her late brother, Mapetla, that seemed to stop time inside Maitisong.

As she transitioned into Thabo Interlude and Time Doesn’t Heal All Wounds, silence fell over the room. Her voice, soft yet unwavering, carried the weight of memories she refuses to let slip into forgetfulness. She spoke candidly about how pain never truly disappears. “Instead, we learn to live with it, to coexist with its shadows,” Dato Seiko shared.

In that moment, the entire auditorium seemed to breathe with her, it was an emotional moment as she burst into tears while singing.

What was striking was how seamlessly she moved between sorrow and warmth. While reminiscing about her childhood with Mapetla, she often dissolved into playful skits, laughing with the crowd as though gently reminding everyone that grief and joy are forever intertwined.

She closed the night with the gospel song titled Lay It All Down, urging the audience and later, her listeners to release the burdens that weigh them down. Carrying too much, she said, blinds us to the good that stands right before us.

The event ‘Healing Point ‘lived up to its name. She did not just perform, she opened herself bare, allowing her audience to look inward.

And in doing so, she reminded the audience that sometimes healing begins not in the absence of wounds, but in the willingness to touch them.

To top off the night was the inclusion of the Mophato dance crew, who had the crowd screaming at the top of the lungs when they joined her on stage.

The two performers proved that indeed local does have talent as they merged their talent to end of the night in a spectacular way.