Get To Know Pretty Yende: The History-Making SA Opera Singer
Pretty Yende is an internationally acclaimed opera singer hailing from South Africa, who made history as the first black woman to perform at a royal coronation.
FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SA OPERA SINGER PRETTY YENDE
Although she captivated audiences with her performance at the royal coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, there are some interesting facts about the opera artist that you may not be aware of.
- She was born in the small town of Piet Retief.
- In 2010, Pretty Yende made her opera debut at the Latvian National Theatre in Riga, where she played the role of Micaela in Carmen.
- Pretty Yende has graced the stages of some of the most renowned theaters worldwide, including the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, Opéra National de Paris, and the Metropolitan Opera. She has also showcased her talent at Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Opernhaus Zürich, and Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona.
- She comes from a musical family. Her sister, Nombulelo Yende, is also an opera singer. Her brothers are DJs.
- According to Classic FM, Pretty Yende was first introduced to the world of opera after watching a British Airways advertisement featuring the “Flower Duet” from Delibes’ opera, Lakmé. She was so enamored with the music that she brought it to her music teacher and expressed her desire to sing just like that.
Pretty Yende Hospitalised
After a recent performance, Yende had a fall and had to spend the night in the hospital.
She shared a video from her hospital stay and apologized to her fans for having to miss a performance due to her injury.
Taking to her social media page, she wrote:
“Dear Friends, I’m so sorry to report that I will not be able to perform my last performance of Manon @wienerstaatsoper due to sustaining a very serious injury during my 2nd performance on the stage before going to sing at the Coronation.”
“I was hoping that my injury would subside but unfortunately it’s not the case and I have to follow medical advises from my doctors and take care in order to heal as quickly as possible.”
“I would like to send my sincerest apologies to my colleagues and the theatre deepest thanks as they were incredibly kind to me during the last performances after my injury.”