The Cape Town Male Voice Choir (CTMVC) and Gauteng’s Cenestra Male Choir received a rousing reception from an international crowd after their impressive performance in the Kirchner Cultural Centre in Argentina.
The audience rose to its feet four times to give them standing ovations.
CTMVC secretary Mike Walwyn said they were overwhelmed by the response during their tour in Uruguay and Argentina.
He said the Kirchner Cultural Centre was one of the most advanced symphonic auditoriums in the world, with state-of-the art technology and superb acoustic design to make it one of the world’s finest spaces to perform in.
“It was the perfect setting for a powerful performance by the 80 male voices of the two South African choirs. When the CTMVC and Cenestra Male Choir left the building, the crowd followed them on to the streets,applauding and clapping to Shozoloza."
He said the South African ambassador to Argentina, Phumelele Gwala, was among the special guests the choirs met before the concert.
They performed to a full house in the magnificent Metropolitan Cathedral in Montevideo, Uruguay, and in community halls, churches and hospitals. Some events were sold out.
Walwyn said they had brought the essence of the South African transformation to their performances.
One of the choir’s soloists, Eugene Sinclair, described the tour as phenomenal. He said the crowd response made him feel like a football star.
“I’ve sung for many audiences and performed overseas before, but I can’t even explain the feeling I had on this tour.
"The crowds were literally singing along and jumping and clapping for us.
“After the shows they even waited to take photos with us as we left the building. We were proud to showcase not just South African talent, but a powerful message of oneness,” he said.