On 10 and 11 December 2014, Gauteng-based opera fans will experience, Opera Rock, a five-star operatic extravaganza – proudly sponsored by Cebekhulu Holdings – which plans to bring down the house at the State Theatre in Pretoria.
The tour de force behind Opera Rocks is world-renowned opera sensation, Sibongile Mngoma, who has very recently won the prestigious 2014 Mbokodo Awards for the Opera Category. “South Africa is so ready for an opera celebration. We have such talented opera singers in this country who can easily take on their international counterparts,” says Mngoma. “We also have a large and sophisticated operatic audience who don’t get enough opportunities to enjoy truly stunning South African opera often enough.”
Opera Rocks intends to address these issues by providing opera music lovers with an operatic performance at its very best and intends to become a bi annual event, putting to work some of South Africa and the UK’s most brilliant voices. Best of all, Opera Rocks will become a bi-annual affair. “We’d like to see it become a prominent platform for South African opera singers to showcase their abilities within the context of South Africa and from a cultural perspective,” explains Managing Director of Cebekhulu Holdings, Philani Cebekhulu.
And by inviting producers, agents and scouts from other parts of the globe, Opera Rocks will expose South Africa’s world-class performance abilities to the rest of the world. “I would love to see my love for opera grow and the way to do this is by bringing exciting opera to modern-day opera fans of which I believe there are many in this country,” says Cebekhulu.
Performing on stage is the opera diva Mngoma herself who will dazzle audiences along with her sensational co-stars, award-winning theatrical performer and singer Joseph Clark, London-based opera soprano star Sally Silver and well-known South African baritone Thabang Senekal. The four singers will be accompanied by the wonderful 40-piece Chamber Orchestra of Johannesburg conducted by Kutlwano Masote and a 10 member male ensemble.
The male ensemble group is being mentored by Sibongile Mngoma and comprises of young performers whose love of opera has inspired her to train, groom and grow and bring onto the professional stage in this production.
Audiences will enjoy a diverse repertoire of songs including theatrical numbers like Maria from Westside Story to contemporary songs such as Don’t Let the Sun Go Down as well as the pop-opera greats Bohemian Rhapsody and Barcelona. La Traviata’s Brindisi and the exquisite Jewel Aria are just two of many classical opera songs, which will be performed.
It’s thanks to Cebekhulu’s love for opera and his company’s generous support of the grand music genre that Opera Rocks is able to bring a slick, commercialised and brilliantly produced show to South African opera music lovers. “The bigger picture is to expand opera so it becomes accessible to disadvantaged and rural communities with an emphasis on children, affording them the opportunity to get into professional mainstream opera through skills development, practical experience and by mobilising them through talent searches using various stakeholders,” Cebekhulu concludes.
Tickets can be purchased at Computicket starting at R250. For more information visit http://www.operarocks.co.za , follow us on Twitter @OperaRocksSA and like our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/OperaRocksSA to keep up with all the news.
Nocturnal Wenchy 
Comment, Like and Share – please. :)