Оперная певица из Эмпангени получила стипендию для обучения в Кейптауне

Empangeni singer Sethabile Hlabangane’s childhood singing has grown into an award-winning operatic career. She won the South African Schools Choral Eisteddfod national solo soprano title in 2023 and was first runner-up in 2024. A bursary is helping the young musician pursue her studies at the University of Cape Town and work towards an international career. What her family once dismissed as noise has become the sound of a promising operatic career. ADVERTISEMENT For Sethabile Hlabangane, 20, the journey from singing in the bathroom in Empangeni, northern KwaZulu-Natal, to performing on prestigious stages has been one of talent, determination, and the people who believed in her. There was a time when Lungelo Hlabangane would hear her daughter singing while getting ready for school, and wish she would stop making so much noise. Sethabile sang everywhere – while doing her homework, completing household chores, getting ready for school and, most notably, in the bathroom. During a parents’ meeting at Heuwelland Primary School, one of Sethabile’s teachers, who had heard her singing beautifully in the school’s bathrooms, told her parents they needed to nurture their daughter’s talent. “That was the moment it truly sank in. What we had always dismissed as noise was a talent that was beginning to develop,” Lungelo said. ADVERTISEMENT READ | How South Africans forged a path to making opera truly African Today, Sethabile is an award-winning soprano and a University of Cape Town (UCT) music student, rubbing shoulders with international operatic stars. But her journey into opera was anything but conventional. Her passion grew at Empangeni High School, where she joined the school’s acclaimed choir. She later represented the school as a soloist in a choral competition and won the soprano solo section. Becoming a professional singer was not part of her plan, however. But eventually, she realised that music was not simply something she was good at; it felt like a calling. But there was another problem: Sethabile knew very little about opera. So she turned to YouTube, which became an unlikely classroom where she listened to and studied some of the world’s leading opera singers. Among those who inspired her were Nadine Sierra and Renée Fleming, as well as South Africa’s own internationally acclaimed soprano, Pretty Yende. “Seeing her succeed on international stages was especially motivating because it showed me that someone from a similar background could achieve great things in opera,” she said. Sethabile’s hard work soon began producing results. READ | Opera: A young talent in underappreciated branch of art In 2023, she was crowned the national champion in the solo soprano category at the South African Schools Choral Eisteddfod. In matric in 2024, she performed as a young soloist at the FNB Pop Opera concert, where she performed a duet with Cape Town Opera artistic director Magdalene Minnaar, who told her she had a bright future ahead. For Sethabile, those words were more than a compliment. They led her to the University of Cape Town, where she is now studying music thanks to a FirstRand Foundation bursary allocated in support of RMB Talent Unlocked. ADVERTISEMENT “It was truly rewarding to see her talent acknowledged and deemed worthy of sponsorship,” Lungelo said, adding that the bursary brought financial relief for the whole family. Earlier this year, Sethabile performed at RMB Starlight Classics, a significant milestone for a young singer who began her journey largely by watching opera online. Standing on the prestigious stage at Vergelegen Wine Estate outside Cape Town was both humbling and inspiring, she said. She said: It represents how far I have come and reminds me that determination and hard work can lead to extraordinary opportunities. Her next performance is in less than two weeks at Starlight Classics at the Johannesburg Country Club in Auckland Park. Darren Hayward, executive producer and creative director of Starlight Classics, said: “Sethabile is an exceptionally talented young singer, and showcasing talent like hers alongside established South African performers is very much what RMB Starlight Classics is about. “Not only was our Cape Town audience blown away by her performance in March, but it also unlocked a FirstRand Foundation bursary to support her opera studies at UCT. I am incredibly proud of what she has achieved and cannot wait for our Johannesburg audience to see her shine,” he said. For the girl whose family once thought she was simply making a noise, the world is beginning to listen. If you have an inspirational story, email [email protected].