For soprano Sasa Yende, Women’s Month is an opportunity to celebrate more than individual achievements and create space for one another.

Yende performed alongside fellow South African soprano Yolisa Ngwexana at A Fabulous Duo: Art Songs and Opera at Inanda Club, Sandton, on August 28.

Read more: Bryanston Women’s Day workshop empowers women with practical self-defence skills

The Sittopera production brought the two singers together for an evening celebrating art songs and opera, accompanied by pianist Laetitia Orlandi. Yende said working with Ngwexana was both professionally rewarding and personally meaningful.

“Personally, it has reminded me of the beauty of women coming together without feeling the need to compete with one another. Professionally, Yolisa is an incredibly gifted artist, and sharing the stage with someone who has her own unique musical identity challenges me to continue growing as a vocalist and performer.”

For Yende, that spirit of collaboration is particularly important in the arts, where women can sometimes feel as though they are competing for limited opportunities. She believes women should actively create opportunities for one another.

“For me, women supporting women means understanding that another woman’s light does not diminish your own. In an industry where opportunities can sometimes feel limited, I believe we have a responsibility to create spaces where other women can also be seen, heard and celebrated.”

She hopes to contribute to a culture where women do not simply secure a place for themselves, but help others find their place too, while also wanting audiences to see opera differently.

“I want to be a woman who not only occupies a seat at the table, but also remembers to make room for another woman to sit beside me,” she said.

Challenging perceptions about opera:

While the genre is sometimes viewed as inaccessible or reserved for a particular audience, she believes its themes are universal. “Opera is fundamentally about human emotion, love, heartbreak, joy, jealousy, sacrifice, hope, and those are experiences that all of us understand,” she said.

As South African artists, Yende believes she and Ngwexana have an opportunity to challenge the perception that opera belongs somewhere else. “The more audiences encounter African artists excelling in this genre, the more we can challenge the idea that opera belongs somewhere else. It belongs to us too,” she said.

Yende’s career extends beyond performing. She is also an educator and PR practitioner, experiences that she said have helped her understand the different ways she can use her voice. “As an artist, I use my voice through music; as an educator, I use it to develop and inspire others; and through PR, I use it to tell stories, build platforms and help people understand their own value,” she said.

Also read: Sasa Yende captivates audience with heartfelt Arias of the Heart performance

Her collaboration with Ngwexana has also reinforced her belief that women do not need to be identical to work successfully together. “Yolisa has her own voice, her own artistry and her own journey, and I have mine. That individuality is precisely what makes the collaboration exciting.”

Rather than asking who is better, Yende said the focus should be on what women can create together. “The question becomes, ‘What can we create together that neither of us could create alone?’” she said. Her message to young women hoping to build careers in the arts is simple: keep going, but take the work seriously. “Do not abandon the dream simply because the road is difficult.

There will be moments when you question yourself, moments when you feel unseen, and moments when you wonder whether there is space for you. Keep going.”

However, she cautions aspiring artists that passion must be supported by preparation. “Talent alone is not enough. Learn the business of your art. Educate yourself. Build relationships.

Be professional. Protect your name. Understand your value and never stop improving your craft. Sometimes you have to become the first person to believe in the woman you are becoming.”

Follow us on our WhatsApp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates!