‘Township girl to opera diva’ – CNN feature

Abbey Road Studios in London. This is where The Beatles produced some of their classic records. It’s a long way from the Cape Town townships where Pumeza Matshikiza grew up, but this is where the South African soprano is recording her debut album.

At the studio rehearsals, she is going over the notes again with her producer. Her plush and dark-hued voice has enabled her to enter the world of music, travel and hard work, and leave poverty and hardship behind.

“Cape Town was very hard because it was during Apartheid with black South Africans put in a very awkward position and discriminated against,” Matshikiza says, reflecting on her childhood. “My mother was always looking for a job, sometimes I spent time without her. At some point I stayed with my uncles, my aunt, my grandmother, my two cousins in an informal settlement.”

Read the entire feature via CNN.