Nelson Mandela Statue, Pretoria © City of Tshwane

"There is a lot of friendliness that you will experience"

Ludumo Magangane, member of the World Choir Council, about the World Choir Games to be held in Tshwane, South Africa

World Choir Games 2018

What does it mean to you personally having the World Choir Games 2018 in your home country?
Having the World Choir Games 2018 in South Africa will give an opportunity to choirs - in South Africa and the rest of Africa - that have always wanted to attend the World Choir Games but could not because of financial constraints, to be part of the World Choir Games. The South African choirs and those from the African continent will gain from the expertise that will be visiting South Africa. The South African public will enjoy international singing standards and will get to interact with people from around the world, literally represented by a kaleidoscope of colours. This will also boost tourism in my country.

You are an experienced adjudicator at the World Choir Games. How do you experience the event from this point of view?
Having been exposed to international levels of singing for all these years, I wish I could be able to go around South Africa working with choir conductors and choirs that will be taking part for the first time to help them to come closer to the required standards - through workshops and masterclasses. The event will strengthen our voice as local adjudicators in making certain demands of choral excellence.

What is special about South African choirs and South African choral music? What is its impact on the country’s culture and society?
While other African countries are famous for drumming and various African indigenous instruments, South African choirs are well known for singing. Our voices are naturally rich and easily resonate with lots of power. The ability of the South African public to harmonise instantaneously without the aid of an accompanying instrument is borne from the strong choral tradition of South Africa. South African choral music, be it composed, folk, traditional or gospel, is part and parcel of our way of life. It is a vehicle of culture.

You have recently published a book about the South African National Anthem. What was your motivation for this book?
Having conducted my choirs in singing our national anthem, I realised that the anthem (with five different languages) has a very interesting history which had to be documented. At first I approached the Department of National Symbols and we had several meetings on how we could package the story - in 2010. For some reason the meetings did not yield any results. I then thought of a documentary around the anthem, to be shown on our national TV - in 2012. I further researched the origins of the compositions that form part of the anthem - Nkosi Sikelel'iAfrika by Enoch Mankayi Sontonga, the Sotho version - Morena Boloka Sechaba Sa Heso, and the poem Die Stem van Suid Afrika by C.J. Langenhoven which was later set to music by Rev de Villiers. I then added the work of the anthem committee which then gave us the anthem that we now sing. I approached a producer in 2014 to help me with the documentary. He was excited about the idea (or so he seemed), promised to come back to me after our meeting, and ended up not contacting me. I approached a second producer and experienced the same. Then the idea of the book took root in my mind. I started writing the manuscript early in 2015, and the book was published in February 2016.

What do you think, how can international choirs benefit from competing at the South African World Choir Games?
The international choirs will get to know more about the South African choral scene, and they will get to see more of the song-and-dance for which choirs from South Africa are famous. Through friendship concerts they will see some of the areas from which the South African choirs come and learn to appreciate the culture. They will be able to take back with them some of the South African songs they shall have learned.

What is your message to singers from around the world?
Let the international choirs come in their numbers to experience South African culture and how warm South Africans are as hosts. There is a lot of friendliness that they will experience.

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