The empire sings back: the deep history behind South African soprano Pretty Yende's triumph

• Among the invited artists at the coronation of Britain’s King Charles III is the South African soprano, Pretty Yende.
• What makes the moment special is not just singing for a new king, but the rareness of the occasion.
• My interest is to excavate Yende’s vocal memory by looking at history and the community.

Amakwaya

• It was in the Lovedale Press that the country’s first choral composition was published.
• This space formed the seeds of a choir singing tradition called amakwaya.
• Many Black South Africans owe their musical prowess to being part of a choir at school or in the community.
• Here, very much in brush strokes, I have tried to map the importance of amakwaya as an informal conservatoire for Black South African opera singers.
• None of them knew, as they joined a junior school choir, that they would become opera stars.

The global stage

• It is discipline and fortitude that led Yende to graduate cum laude from the University of Cape Town.
• In 2016, in the prestigious international Belvedere Singing Competition, she won a prize for each category and was named overall winner.
• Her global career began with bel canto roles in the Italian opera style.
• As she ascends the stage, may her ancestors guide her to even greater heights.