Conroy Cupido is doing everything in his power to save Opera in South Africa.
Conroy Cupido is passionate about the Arts in South Africa. He is a lecturer working to save Opera. He recently created a petition and needs 500 signatures to make his case. He will be delivering the signed petition to Minister Nathi Mthethwa and Shadow Minister Mponeng Winston Rabotapi.
Opera is an important part of the Arts and Pretty Yende is the perfect example of how it can create global stars. Pretty was born in Piet Retief but has risen to the top of the Opera world with her talent. Pretty has performed at nearly all the major theatres in the world including the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Opéra National de Paris, Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Staatsoper Berlin, Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, Opernhaus Zürich and Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona.
Another Opera singer making great things happen is Musa Ngqungwana. He is a world-renowned performer from Port Elizabeth. His voice is celebrated across the globe and he works to get children from SA to the top classes in Germany and the United Kingdom.
It is because of people like this, that young stars turn to Opera and without the funding of the arts, many children may never realise their dreams. Conroy is fighting for change and hopes to get a government backing.
“At the moment several stakeholders and I are putting together a task team to approach the Minister of Arts of Culture to help the Arts community with sustainable and consistent funding like they support Sports in SA” – Conroy Cupido
You can sign the petition here.
Conroy also wrote an open letter to President Ramaphosa in the hopes that he would bring some attention to the matter. Take a read below and see the video of some talented people in SA performing Opera.
Dear Mr Ramaphosa
I am a proud lecturer of many fine young South African opera singers, many of them black young aspiring artists. Most of these students come from communities where one would assume that opera would be the last thing that they would have been exposed to. Yet, it is in these communities through the South African Schools Choral Eisteddfod (SASCE) and the National Choir Festival (NCF) as well as through the many passionate teachers who devote their lives to nurture music among these learners that a love for opera is nourished.
I encourage you to visit these events or some of our concerts and you will see that any notions of this art form being eurocentric or elitist have long since been dispelled. Opera is current. Opera is black! Today we have learned that another opera company in South Africa is closing its doors.
At the moment many young, mostly black singers, have no other option to leave their homes, families and children to pursue their dreams abroad in Europe or America. In many of these countries, opera survives because of financial support from their governments and because private sponsors are given significant tax incentives to donate to the arts.
There is an untapped opportunity to create many jobs in the performing arts sector especially opera. To sustain an opera company means providing work to singers, orchestral musicians, costume designers and outfitters, lighting crews, carpenters, technicians, administrators, marketers etc.
If major cities each had a financially viable opera company, how many jobs would that create and how would that boost tourism locally? But to be financially sustainable these companies cannot survive on ticket sales alone.
I know that there are many pressing concerns which you face every day and to some, a plea to provide performing opportunities to musicians in our country may seem trivial, even privileged. But I ask you to look and listen to the passion that these young singers exude in the videos below and maybe we can find a way to provide work for more South Africans while also allowing music, a universal healer and reconciler, to flourish.
Posted by Conroy Cupido on Tuesday, 3 October 2017
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Totally support this venture – thank you for what you are doing to protect the arts in South Africa
Remember, too that the vibrant art scene in Cape Town, with Cape Town Opera, Cape Town Opera Choir and Ballet at the forefront, are important tourist attractions.