Operatic soprano Pretty Yende is arguably one of South Africa’s greatest cultural exports today.
The Milan-based opera singer has performed alongside music heavyweights such as Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion and graced the stages of major opera houses such as the La Scala Opera House in Milan, the Metropolitan Opera House in New York and Liceu Opera in Barcelona.
Yet, Yende’s musical beginnings were in a world far away, around a humble bonfire in the small timber growing town of Piet Retief, in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa.
“I remember every night after supper, we would gather around the fire and sing hymns, which was where, I believe my solo career started.”
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