[THE
DUKE'S JESTER: Fikile Mvinjelwa as the vengeful, tortured hunchback
Rigoletto in Cape Town Opera's 2008 production of the opera of that
name Picture: STUART RALPH]
Times
Live
Christina
Kennedy | 04 March, 2012
“FIKILE Mvinjelwa
was among the first wave of black opera singers to start reaching for
the stars during the dawn of democracy in South Africa in the early
1990s. And the former Langa resident has more than lived up to his
early promise - he now sings with the New York Metropolitan Opera.
The Washington Post hailed him as a 'real find' when he performed in
Virginia Opera's production of Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto two years
ago, saying 'the pick hit of the evening was South African baritone
Fikile Mvinjelwa in the key role of Rigoletto himself'. He 'proved
to be a genuinely riveting, truly memorable tragic hero/avenger'.
“This week
Mvinjelwa returns home to perform as the guest artist in Opera
Africa's double bill at the State Theatre in Pretoria and Joburg
Theatre. The first half comprises the new, Zulu, one-act operatic
work, Ziyankomo and the Forbidden Fruit, composed by Phelelani
Mnomiya, with a libretto by Themba Msimang; the second half features
excerpts from popular operas.
“Mvinjelwa, the
toast of New York in the title role in Rigoletto, as Amonasro in Aïda
and as Ezio in Attila - all by Giuseppe Verdi - is no stranger to
South African stages and works . The 2001 Standard Bank Young Artist
award-winner has performed widely for the Cape Town Opera, in
particular, and has graced local and international stages in works
such as Brett Bailey's production of macbEth: the opera as well as in
Mzilikazi Khumalo's Princess Magogo kaDinuzulu and Philip Miller's
Rewind Cantata.” [The South
African Composer, Arranger and Choral Director
J.S. Mzilikazi Khumalo (b. 1932) is featured
at AfriClassical.com]
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