Masuku also performed the national anthem ahead of a Springbok game in 2024.
Despite not getting a chance to meet and greet the Springboks after the match, South African singer Innocent Masuku described singing the national anthem as a humbling experience.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t get to meet the players. They got really busy after the match. Hopefully next time,” Masuku told The Citizen.
The opera singer sang the national anthem ahead of the final match of the Rugby Championship between the Springboks and Argentina at Twickenham Stadium in London, England.
The Springboks went on to win the game, which became unnecessarily tight in the final minutes.
“It was humbling to have the opportunity to perform at such a large event amidst thousands of people. It’s exciting, but also a bit overwhelming,” said the UK-based singer.
“The game was tough, especially when they got scrums. I was pushing with them as well. It was a real rollercoaster. Argentina was a tough opponent, and the game was incredibly challenging. But our team just knows how to win.”
The game, which was an Argentine home game, was played in England because the South Americans wanted to generate high financial returns. It was their highest attendance of the year.
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Masuku on not being ‘too operatic’
This wasn’t his first time performing the national anthem. He also performed the anthem last year ahead of the Boks‘ end-of-year tour match against England, where some people complained about his performance being too operatic.
“People were complaining that it was too operatic last time I sang it,so this time I tried to sing it a little bit more mixed version. If you listen to the previous one and this one, they are different, so I think that came across well,” shared Masuku.
Comparing how he prepares for singing the national anthem to a normal stage performance, Masuku said there are different approaches.
“The show is usually an hour long, but the national anthem is just under two minutes. My preparation focuses mainly on vocalisation and ensuring I get the words correctly, especially Afrikaans,” he said.
He added that language can catch one out if they aren’t properly prepared.
“If you don’t study them properly, you can mispronounce the text. The melody of our national anthem is beautiful and easy to sing along to, so you can never mess it up. However, my main focus is on making sure the text is clear for the audience to hear and sing along.”
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Masuku on the music
Masuku rose to international fame in 2024 after reaching the final of Britain’s Got Talent (BGT).
Draped in traditional garb during his audition performance, Masuku said the audience probably expected him to dance or make jokes on stage.
“When I started signing, people were shocked,” Masuku told The Citizen last year.
It’s been more than a year since his performance on the syndicated TV show; however, Masuku left such a good impression that he was invited to perform at the launch of the 18th season of the show.
In May this year, the singer, who hails from Mkhondo (previously known as Piet Retief), released a single titled Nelle Tue Mani.
He confirmed that he was working on a project and is currently raising funds for the independent project.
“I’ll do it myself because working with companies is a scam. I’m raising money myself here in England to record the project and fund it myself. The single that went out a couple of months back is doing really well, and I’m pleased with the numbers on it.”
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