Desmond Koolen, Grade 2 pupil at St David’s Marist Inanda in Johannesburg, celebrates an incredible haul of achievements from the recent South African Championships of Performing Arts.
ALSO SEE: Joburg boys school goes viral for war cry: ‘We’re the black and the golden’
The South African Championships of Performing Arts championships, held in Rustenburg in September, saw budding star Desmond Koolen shine in both individual and group performances.
The young prodigy’s remarkable talent earned him an impressive haul of 27 medals across various performance categories.
Koolen scooped a total of 15 medals for his solo acts, including five gold, six silver, and four bronze. His group performances were equally impressive, netting him an additional 12 medals: four gold, four silver, and four bronze.
Desmond’s exceptional vocal and acting abilities did not go unnoticed by the judges. The young performer received overall achievement awards and scored the highest in the 5-12 age group for both his vocal and acting performances.
St David’s Marist Inanda expressed their pride in Desmond’s achievements in a Facebook post: “Well done Desi, we look forward to holding testament to your future achievements and successes.”
Desmond’s success at the national level has opened doors for even greater opportunities. He has been selected to represent Team South Africa at the World Championships of Performing Arts in Los Angeles in 2025.
Desmond is a familiar face to SA netizens. In 2023, he captured the hearts of thousands when he gained viral fame for a school performance of James Brown’s “I Feel Good” and later, Queen’s “We Are The Champions” in support of the world-cup winning Springbok rugby team.
@actually_its_adele So proud of this boy! Performed infront of the whole jnr prep today #fyp #tiktoksouthafrica #thisismylife #momandboylife #kidperformer #adoptionjourney ♬ original sound – Adele Koolen
View this post on Instagram
ALSO SEE:
WATCH: Siya Kolisi joins Wynberg Boys High School for spirited war cry
Feature Image: Facebook / St David’s Marist Inanda
