18-year-old Empangeni High School pupil Sethabile Hlabangane, who is currently in Grade 12, performed at FNB’s flagship Pop Opera concert, in partnership with the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra, and hosted by Bridget Masinga.
She masterfully delivered “Mein Herr Marquis” (Johann Strauss II – Die Fledermaus) to the audience on Saturday 19 October at Collisheen Estate in Ballito.
Several music lovers could not hide their admiration. “Amazing perfomance Sethabile, keep shining princess”, “This kid’s future is so bright! I hope she follows this career!” they wrote on the Facebook platform.
The concert showcased some of the best homegrown talent from the province.
The ABC Motsepe South African Schools Choral Eisteddfod (SACE) National Champion soloist joined the likes of multihyphenate global sensation Thandiswa Mazwai; homegrown singer-songwriter, musician, and composer Khaya Mthethwa; Mzansi pop icon Samantha Leonard; and award-winning artist Ruhan Du Toit – all of whom performed, accompanied by the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra.
The full artist lineup for FNB Pop Opera this year, was as follows:
- Thandiswa Mazwai
- Khaya Mthethwa
- Samantha Leonard
- Ruhan du Toit
- Karen Petersen
- Sethabile Hlabangane
- Clermont Choir
- Oleksii Ishchenko
- KZN Philharmonic Orchestra