Prashirwin Naidu
Johannesburg - From Giyani to Germany, multi-talented Musa Nkuna, is back home in South Africa currently starring in Mozart’s opera “Don Giovanni” which ends its run at the Joburg Theatre today.
In what has been billed as an extension to The Joburg Theatre’s 60th anniversary celebration of connecting stars to the City Of Gold, Nkuna has travelled a long road from bustling Limpopo to performing in stages around the world.
Growing up in a musical family, his father a composer and music producer for radio Tsonga which was part of the SABC, had Nkuna and his brother travel with their father quite a lot when he went to record choral groups.
Now settled in Hamburg, Germany, Nkuna said: “I would like to visit and take opera throughout townships of South Africa so people can appreciate the beauty of theatre,” he said.
His upbringing in Limpopo helped plant a seed in his heart and evoked an interest in Nkuna's soul, from seeing his mother singing in church to listening to a lot of music and singing at home. Music was in his blood.
In his younger days Nkuna said he learned how to read and write music from a Swiss pastor’s wife at his church before going to formal tertiary institutions to study music.
He sang often in the church choir, it was an opportunity given and he seized it with full force.
“Almost everyone I know that sings opera has sung in the school choir, church choir and community choir,” said Musa when describing how he became an internationally rated tenor.
In a little backstory “Don Giovanni” was a lover who seduced over 2 000 women, the opera detailing his struggles and failures when his gifted charms no longer work.
His dark, enraged and misogynistic side is revealed. In essence it’s a dark and comical ensemble, as the voices and music are rich.
“Don Giovanni” is a diverse character, a free minded individual and goes for liberty at all cost.
Mozart represented him as the upper class.
Nkuna is one of the leading roles, he plays the tenor. He’s very established in Europe. Nkuna and stage manager Christoph Dammann, have been working together for 20 years.
“Don Giovanni” is directed by Dammann In collaboration with productions artistic consultant Nkuna and it is presented and put together by The Joburg Theatre home.
The major sections of the written work have been translated to English by Amanda Holden.
Dammann and Nkuna also worked together at Cologne Opera at Portuguese National Opera in Lisbon, they know each other very well.
Musa is an artistic, creative and very eccentric character.
Both himself and Dammann share an intense love and adoration through creating and bringing to life this masterful art piece.
Mozart painted the representation and described it as a “drama giosco” that is comically a “funny drama”, it’s a creative mixture of both a serious and comical opera.
The opera is a mixture of very light, entertaining music and very dramatic music. With a diverse cast and dramatical flair this brings multiple mixtures of light and funny scenes with dramatic scenes.
“The singer in the leading role comes from New York Metropolitan Opera, a singer from Portuguese National Opera.
“There is several singers from big German Theatres and a host of marvellous singers from South Africa, a diverse range of cast will be performing,” said Dammann
The opera in “Don Giovanni” is led in English whilst all music will be sung in original Italian by the orchestra with subtitles.
“I think it’s very important that we can show the art form of opera here also in South Africa’s major cities, but it’s newly here in Joburg with a new concept and with an extreme high class cast,” said Dammann
The “Don Giovanni” show at Joburg Theatre ends today 21 August and ticket prices range between R250 and R550