Limpopo’s opera star to shine in Europe
Local opera singer, Vongani Bevula, will soon be travelling to Europe to enhance his career
LIMPOPO – Local opera singer, Vongani Bevula, will soon be travelling to Europe to enhance his career.
Bevula, who trained as an opera singer at the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) South African College of Music, will be commencing his masters degree in Opera Studies in Germany.
Growing up in Giyani, Bevula was a well-rounded learner involved in a number of extra-curricular activities such as chess, debating and cricket at Risinga Secondary School. However, it was soon clear where his real star shined.
Bevula enjoyed choir practice and his outstanding talent was discovered and honed by his dedicated and supportive music teachers, Lesley Makatu and Sydney Mabunda.
Year after year the school choir won every competition it entered and also represented Limpopo in the national championships.
If a song required a tenor solo, Bevula would inevitably be selected for it.
Bevula confesses he was, like other teenagers, typically naughty, however music helped him gain the discipline needed to shape his life.
“The first time I heard the South African tenor, Musa Nkuna, at a concert in Giyani with his friends, I knew for sure that was indeed what I also wanted to do with the rest of my life,” Bevula admits.
Nkuna, who currently lives and works in Europe, is also from Giyani and grew up in the same neighbourhood as Bevula.
Bevula went to Univen after matric where he completed a certificate in music.
Thereafter, he spent a few years in Cape Town studying towards his Bachelor of Music at UCT and eventually obtained a postgraduate certificate in music education.
Bevula cites many highlights so far in his music career – a memorable one was meeting the internationally acclaimed Spanish tenor, Placido Domingo, who he got to know and had the opportunity to learn from.
Already fluent in German as well as Italian, Bevula is looking forward to spending the next few years overseas.
Bevula says he only wishes our government would be willing to fund opera as it produces a stream of significant talent, which then goes on to wave the country’s flag proudly on international opera stages.
