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'Princess' finds her way home
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March 26, 2009
 By Diane de Beer
Opera is flying at the moment and one of the most exciting productions is the return of Opera Africa's Princess Magogo, which tells the story of the princess who distinguished herself as the Zulu nation's first female composer.
Opening in Pretoria at the State Theatre on Saturday, it first premiered in Durban in 2002. Sandra de Villiers, Opera Africa founder and chief executive, initiated Princess Magogo as an attempt to add an African opera to the traditional European repertoire featured in this country.
It is based on the life of Mangosuthu Buthelezi's mother, Princess Constance Magogo ka-Dinuzulu (1900-1984), who was widely recognised as a singer, composer, musician, teacher and political activist. It is a blend of Zulu traditional music featuring the composer's work as well as traditional operatic conventions.
Historian Professor Themba Msimang wrote the libretto, while composer Mzilikazi Khumalo was the obvious choice for the score, as he had researched Zulu music for more than 50 years.
"Many of the songs I used in the opera I learnt at my mother's knee," he says.
Director Themi Venturas teams up with artist Andrew Verster as set and costume designer, Declan Randall is the lighting designer, and they are joined by Dutch star conductor Vincent de Kort and the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra.
Venturas says the concept and piece have come a long way. "It has had two rewrites, new songs and music have been added with some new scenes introduced and others omitted," he notes.
Every time they've reworked the opera, they've developed it further. "There have been several incarnations," he adds, with one of its strongest features the fact that Sibongile Khumalo first created the role of the Princess.
In this latest version, the lead role will be shared.
"Two impressive new singers will split the role," he explains. "Amsterdam loved it, Chicago loved it, Oslo loved it, Soweto loved it … Pretoria is in for a treat."
Princess Magogo ends on April 4. Book at Computicket.
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