peter klatzow: Live & Latest News Updates : Vimarsana.com
South African singer Sibongile Khumalo (1957-2021) was born into a dynasty of musicians. Her grandfather was a maskandi artist. This is a popular form derived from indigenous Zulu music created by migrant labourers, mostly accompanied by an acoustic guitar. Her father, Khabi Mngoma, was a classical musician, a community builder in Soweto and, ultimately, a music professor at the University of Zululand.
Undoubtedly, it was her mother, Grace Mngoma, who bestowed her with her warm mezzo-soprano/alto voice. In numeroussources, including writer and activist Es’kia Mpahlele’s memoir
Down Second Avenue, Grace is mentioned as an alto soloist in productions of Handel’s
South-africaSowetoGautengUnited-statesJohannesburgSouth-africanSouth-africansHiroyuki-ito-gettyPhilip-millerBandile-mngomaMagogo-kadinizuluSibongile-khumaloThe passing of Sibongile Khumalo at the far, far too young age of 63 was a body blow.
Sibongile epitomised ‘the new South Africa’, as it was born and as it matured. She sang in every style – from
UShaka – with equal accuracy, generosity and joie de vivre, making everything ‘popular’ to millions of people without ever sacrificing vocal or musical professionalism.
This was one of her greatest gifts, that she made a place for everyone with her voice, a golden, melting voice that made all, young and old, rich and poor, professors and farmers, feel ‘at home’.
To paraphrase the closing text of the Alto Rhapsody:
South-africaSowetoGautengNongomaKwazulu-natalSouth-africanVilakazi-meadowlandsSibongile-khumaloJoshua-pulumo-mohapeloaDuma-ndlovuMzilikazi-khumaloTyamzashe-isithandwa-sam