SOUTH AFRICA: DURBAN STAGES COUNTRY'S FIRST EVER ZULU OPERA CENTRED ON LIFE OF ZULU PRINCESS MAGOGO

Record ID: 840999

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: DURBAN STAGES COUNTRY'S FIRST EVER ZULU OPERA CENTRED ON LIFE OF ZULU PRINCESS MAGOGO
  • Date: 11th June 2002
  • Summary: SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) OPERA COMPOSER MZILIKAZI KHUMALO SAYING: "In fact I think in the whole of Africa, we don't have a woman as powerful as she (Princess Magogo) is as a composer. And then of course she knew almost all the praise poems and she would recite them in public which was quite unusual for a woman to do, as all our praise poets, Isibongi, all of them were ma
  • Embargoed: 26th June 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION/DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA
  • City:
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Entertainment,Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA8CNBZ532GJMWU2ZUSRND84PDQ
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: South Africa stages it's first Zulu opera to honour a powerful and charismatic princess whose life symbolised the beauty and struggles of the Zulu people.
    The Zulu nation is renowned for it's proud warrior spirit. Their historic feats of bravery include the now famous Battle of Isandlwana in 1879 -- where the British army suffered one of its most humiliating defeats in Africa.
    It was in the hills of Zululand that Princess Magogo, daughter of Dinizulu, king of the Zulus, was born in 1900. A hundred years later, the princess is still the centre of attraction. This time she's the subject of an opera.
    The composer of the opera, Mzilikazi Khumalo said,
    "In fact I think in the whole of Africa, we don't have a woman as powerful as she is as a composer. And then of course she knew almost all the praise poems and she would recite them in public which was quite unusual for a woman to do, as all our praise poets, Isibongi, all of them were males."
    All this made her an irresistible choice for the first full length African opera.
    South Africa's finest turned out to come see the performance. Princess Magogo's son, Dr Mongosuthu Buthelezi who is also minister of home affairs was also there.
    "As her son, I am very pleased that she has been given that recognition, which I think that she deserves," he said.
    "And I also would say that this is a night not just about my mother, but I mean, a night which I regard as an African night in the sense that our ancient indigenous music can easily be blended with the Western Orchestra."
    Princess Magogo is on her deathbed, and is being called to her ancestors. This is how the opera starts, with Princess looking back on her life and the events that shaped her destiny.
    King Dinizulu is a worried man. He's just returned from exile, and all is not well in the Zulu kingdom. Bambatha, the Zulu general is leading a rebellion against the British, which will end in his capture and execution.
    But all is not lost - A baby girl is born - Princess Mntwane Constance Magogo kaDinizulu. Queen Silomo celebrates the birth of her newborn daughter.
    Queen Silomo is played by one of South Africa's upcoming singers, Linda Bukhosini. The opera singer said,
    "It's exciting to be part of this work. As you know there is a lot of drama, there's a lot of music, there's a lot of dance in our culture. So this is just a natural progression that takes classical music and matches our own traditions in South Africa."
    In an effort to crush Zulu resistance, the British arrest and charge King Dinizulu with treason and send him into exile once more. Princess Magogo never sees her father again.
    But she keeps the soul of the Zulu nation alive with songs of a more glorious past.
    It's a story that Sibongile Khumalo, South African opera diva who played Princess Magogo, was intent on singing.
    "It's not just about the pain, the humiliation of a nation. It's also about pride, about self-worth, about patriotism and loyalty and all of those old fashioned fundamental values that humankind celebrates," she said.
    It is also about the fundamental value and emotion of love.
    "In her life she was almost like Nandi, the mother of Shaka, because she was not scared of telling a young man that she loved him. And she was so open in her love that a number of the songs that are composed and these are the songs that you're going to hear, her own songs," says Mzilikazi Khumalo.
    "And you know the tragic thing is that of course she couldn't marry this man she loved so much because for political purposes, her brother, King Solomon requested her to marry Inkosi Matole."
    A singer, poet and feminist. But most importantly, a symbol of a nation's resilience and pride.
    "I think that it is high time that we tell the story or stories of our history in a manner and form that we can communicate throughout the world," Jacob Zuma, the deputy president of South Africa said.
    This is an exciting fusion of African sounds with a traditional European medium. And with the opera due to travel overseas next year, a fusion likely to please any taste anywhere.
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