Odyssey of an African Opera Singer by Musa Ngqungwana

Author:Musa Ngqungwana
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Random House South Africa
Published: 2018-01-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Singing for Mimi Coertse

I had arranged to stay with one of my mother’s cousins, Xisa Ramafoko, in Sunnyside, Pretoria. She and her husband had offered to accommodate me during my three-day visit. My two friends had their lodgings arranged by their local choir, the Matthews Singers from New Brighton township. There was a choir competition on the same weekend we were to audition for the Black Ties, and their choir director was not pleased that his two star singers would not be travelling with the rest of the entourage. However, the boys assured him that our audition was on Friday morning, which would give them sufficient time to join the choir at the hotel for rehearsals.

We travelled by Intercape Sleepliner, an overnight shuttle bus equipped with comfortable seats that were flexible enough to adjust for sleeping during the sixteen-hour ride. As we left our city that evening and I saw it beautifully lit up, I could not help thinking that, although it looked enticing, I was leaving a life of obscurity for one of fulfilment and recognition. There were no guarantees about the audition, yet part of me felt I was starting anew and that, regardless of the outcome, I would not be returning home from it permanently.

My grandmother had baked treats so that we did not need to spend any money on the road, except on something to drink. Her send-off prayer had given me a blessed assurance. Our days of differences regarding my dropping out of school were well behind us, and the focus was now on meeting new objectives.

As we travelled, each of us reflected on our lives, looking with keen eyes towards our dream. When you have fallen many times, you eventually learn how to balance to find your way. Like a child learning to walk, falling again and again but never giving up, we struggled towards our goals.

We had all had our fair share of strife, I thought as we drove into the night, and had been there for one another along the way, forming a strong bond. There would always be challenges, but we had tools for tackling each of them in a way that was conducive to growth for each of us. Out of all the metaphorical games I had played, I believed, at last, that I had the winning ticket in my hand.

We enjoyed the ride as best we could until we dozed off. I was the last one to do so, being the insomniac I am. We had talked little on the bus ride, but the last thing we said to each other was, ‘Sleep well, boys. Tomorrow is a new day. Whatever happens, something will change.’ It was as if we had a prophetic gift and were creating new realities for ourselves.

Arriving at Pretoria Station early on Friday morning, we found restrooms where we could freshen up and change into our suits. Our audition didn’t start until 10:30 a.m., but we were there and ready by 8:45 a.m.

The security

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