Ubuntu in harmony as Minnesota Orchestra heads to SA to celebrate Mandela centenary

29 June 2018 - 14:11 By Thando Mpembe
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South African soprano Goitsemang Lehobye is excited to be honouring Nelson Mandela in her home country.
South African soprano Goitsemang Lehobye is excited to be honouring Nelson Mandela in her home country.
Image: Facebook/Goitsemang Goitsy Lehobye. Soprano

The Grammy award-winning Minnesota Orchestra will perform in South Africa as part of the centenary celebrations of Nelson Mandela’s birth.

Its five-city tour in August will be in Cape Town‚ Durban‚ Pretoria‚ Soweto and Johannesburg.

The highlight of the tour is “Harmonia Ubuntu”‚ which was especially composed by South African-born and world-acclaimed composer Bongani Ndodana-Breen and sung by South African soprano Goitsemang Lehobye.

Lehobye‚ who is doing her master’s degree at the University of Michigan in the United States‚ is excited to be honouring Mandela in her home country.

“We need to remind ourselves about what Mandela stood for. I was so inspired when I read the text for “Harmonia Ubuntu”. Maybe it will help remind South Africans about Mandela’s legacy‚” she said.

She says of her journey to become an opera singer: “When I was younger I saw someone singing opera on TV and found out that they were from Ga-Rankuwa‚ exactly where I’m from.”

Lehobye followed her dream.

“I miss my family but ever since I finished high school‚ I never really was at home anyway‚” she says as she recalls how life took off for her in terms of music.

And now she finds herself performing with the Minnesota Orchestra.

“I have no idea how it even happened‚” she says. “I worked with Bongani on a piece and he liked my singing. Soon after I was contacted by the orchestra to work with them.”

Lehobye believes the tour in honour of Mandela “is a fantastic way to commemorate him.

“It’s such a great thing that classical music artists are interested in South Africa and telling our story through song” she told TimesLIVE.

The musical tribute to Mandela is one of about 50 projects planned by the Nelson Mandela Foundation to commemorate Mandela’s legacy.

The foundation’s chief executive‚ Sello Hatang‚ says: “Madiba’s centenary is about helping build a values-based society. We hope that this initiative will play a role in highlighting the plight of the poor and the marginalised‚ and thereby build a more equal society.”

Ticket prices range from R100 to R600 and bookings can be done through Computicket. For the Cape Town concert‚ contact tickets@classicalmovements.com

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