Karlien van Jaarsveld, an Afrikaans singer and songwriter specializing in bright, earnest contemporary pop, launched her solo career with the 2010 album As die Gordyn Val and reached household-name status in South Africa via her second full-length, Jakkals Trou Met Wolf Se Vrou, issued the following year. Further chart success followed with later releases, among them her fifth studio album, 2017’s Sing vir Liefde.
Born in Paarl, van Jaarsveld grew up in a musical household; her brother, Bobby van Jaarsveld, also records as an artist. She contributed vocals and guitar to his debut, 2006’s Duisend Ure. Karlien subsequently formed the rock band Resolusie, serving as lead singer until 2008, when she embarked on a solo path. Her first independent project, As die Gordyn Val, appeared in 2010.
After signing with South African label Johan Vorster Songs, van Jaarsveld issued Jakkals Trou Met Wolf Se Vrou in 2011, which attained platinum status. That same year she performed in the music-themed film Platteland alongside artists including Lianie May and Steve Hofmeyr. She returned to the screen in 2013 for the musical drama As Jy Sing and released the album Uitklophou. Her fourth full-length, My Hartjie, reached gold certification upon its 2015 release, as did Sing vir Liefde in 2017. Meanwhile Johan Vorster Songs entered a partnership with Universal, which put out the 2018 compilation Die Beste Tot Nou. In September of the next year van Jaarsveld issued the cookbook Karlien Kan Nie Kook Nie.
