Marah is an iconic artist and actor. She used her singing during the apartheid regime to spread kindness and hope to the people of South Africa during their darkest time. This led her to be recognized as one of the greats in Africa because her voice is not just for her only but for the people as well.Let’s look at Marah Louw Biography.
Profile summary of Marah Teboho
Name: Marah Teboho Louw
Date of Birth: 17 July 1952
Occupation: Actress, Musician, Author
Place of birth: Mzimhlophe, Soweto
Parents: Trueblue Mabasotho Louw (Mother), Simanda Binca (Father)
Siblings: Siphokazi Zokwana (Half-sister)
Children: Moratuoa Louw
Spouse: Bill Thomson (Ex-Husband)
Net Worth: $700 000
Background
Born in 1952, Marah always believed that MokgethiBenjamin Louw and Charlotte Macindi Louw were her parents. However, she later found out that this was not the case. Her parents were her grandparents. And her sister, Trueblue Mabasotho Louw, was, in fact, her biological mother. This was because she was born out of wedlock. To prevent shame from befalling the family, her grandparents raised her as their own. And they kept the family secret even when her mother passed on in 1976.
She only found out about the family secret when she was 44. However, trying to contact her father led to more questions. Her father, a well-respected member of the Eastern Cape community, refused to speak to her. This has not sat well with Marah. However, she says she has forgiven him, and she hopes to hear his side of the story soon.
Career
Music
Her career started at the age of 10 with the Imilonji Kantu choir, and this was when the singing seed in her was planted. In 1973 she became a member of Caiphus Semenya’s musical Meropa. They went on tour around the world, including in Japan. She also got to sing for the Queen at a Royal Command Performance in 1975. After this, she became a solo artist. Marah even got to sing at the inauguration of President Nelson Mandela and Freedom Day celebrations in Pretoria.
In 2001 she was responsible for masterminding music concert Surf which featured phenomenal artists like Hugh Masekela. Marah is even accountable for translating the music of The Lion King into Zulu for Walt Disney Corp. And she performed the iconic Circle of life in Zulu.
Some of her music includes:
- Jerusalem Ikhaya Lam
- Mortal Le Pula
- Ha Kelestshe – Kele Mobe
- Mphe Maleme Ase Kete – Vuthelani Ixilongo
- Kese Ke Utloile
- Hee! Ba Nyoriloeng
- Bawo Ndingu Mntwana Wakho
- Ingoma Ka Ntsikana among others
- Take Me to the River
- 50 50 make 100%
- Iphi’Ndlela
- Nayana
- Amahlathi Aphelile
Filmography
Marah has appeared in a lot of television shows over the years. She had a lead role in Muvhango. She was also a permanent judge on the Idols series until she left the show in 2010 after she got drunk on air. During this time, she also had a cooking show named Mara Louw and friends.
After this, she tried her hand at comedy in the form of the sitcom Skwizas. She then left the role for Tempy Pushas, where she played Girlie for three seasons. In 2016 she starred in The Queen, but she then exited the show unceremoniously.
Marah was speaking as a panellist during the POWER Dialogue on POWER Talk on Tuesday. She said that in 2003, she earned R65 000 for her role in the TV show Muvhango. “And then suddenly I’m told by Shona Ferguson, who is a child and every other producer that ‘Your fee is too high. Excuse me! If you want to pay me peanuts, go and find a monkey. I have never received a penny of royalties,” she said during the discussion.
Marah says she is recovering well from her hip replacement surgery and is in no rush to return to screens after leaving The Queen under a cloud several months ago. “I am just taking it easy and also writing, and I am writing all kinds of things, scripts and notes.”
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Some of her roles include:
| TV Show/Movie | Role |
|---|---|
| B&B | Ma Mgcina |
| Idols | Herself |
| Idols | Judge |
| Like Father Like Son | Ivy Sibeko |
| Mara Louw and Friends | Host |
| Muvhango | Catherine Mukwevho |
| Skwizas | Jamaica |
| Tempy Pushas | Girlie |
| Tempy Pushas | MaGirlie |
| The Queen | Boi Maake |
Mara Louw Biography, Blocklisting
Marah has been quoted in quite a few interviews saying that the Fergusons blocklisted her from the industry. She says that “Since I spoke out, I have been blocklisted. I have not worked since 2017. It’s a cruel industry. A few producers have told me that they would love to work with me, but they have been told that I am impossible to work with and complain about money.” Another producer told her that he wanted to work with her, but he was told not to.
Net Worth
Marah is estimated at being worth about $700 000. Most of her earnings come from her album sales, concerts and Television shows.
Love Life
Marah got married in 1986 to Scottish businessperson Bill Thomson. However, they divorced in 2004 due to differences they could not reconcile. They had one child together, Moratuwa Louw. Then, commenting on how the husband could just come up with such an unfounded excuse, she said, “That is a bit strange. I don’t know how you can stop loving somebody, especially after so many years. I am unfortunate, but Satan has taken over. It is so ugly that we are not even talking to each other.”
Hijacking
In early 2017 her daughter’s boyfriend was shot and killed in a hijacking right in front of Marah’s house. The incident happened in Soweto, and the young man was rushed to hospital, where he later died. The incident left the entire family traumatized and in mourning.
Marah Louw Biography, Muti Scandal
Two beer bottles were found in front of Marah’s gate filled with what looked like muti. Following the suspicious discovery, Marah’s neighbours managed to find the young woman who was allegedly behind the muti. However, the woman was troubled and had recently lost her brother to suicide, which led her to delusions, and Marah sympathized with her. She rallied behind the woman and her family to try and help her get the aid she needed to be better.
The incident did, however, traumatize her to the point where she was afraid even to drive. Marah claims they caught the culprit as she was smearing black liquid on the gate. The person allegedly claimed her dead brother had appeared to her in a dream and told her to spread the gate.
Name Change
In 2013 she revealed that her name had been misspelt since the early days of her career. She said in 1971, her manager omitted the ‘he’s at the end of her name, and she overlooked that, which has caused problems in her life. “Throughout my life, I’ve had problems, especially with family asking me why my name changed.” She said the name, which was given to her by her grandmother, is actually from a Bible verse which states, “when they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter…” Marah said that her family was in the process of correcting her name through a traditional ceremony. The album Marah Worship, released in 2011, was also part of the correction process.
