BCX Opera Concert at Sibaya Casino & Entertainment Kingdom

Back by popular demand, The exclusive Izulu Theatre at Sibaya Casino & Entertainment Kingdom plays host to the Business Connexion Opera Concert. World renowned and internationally acclaimed Kammersängerin Mimi Coertse will host The Black Tie Ensemble who will entertain concert goers to a selection of famous and well-known opera, operetta and musical arias. Mimi Coertse will give background information about the arias performed, sharing stories with the audience about her illustrious career, doing so making the music accessible to a wide audience.

The Black Tie Ensemble has offered many a South African singing talent a unique opportunity to be trained and to make a living from what they love. This team is entirely self-funded, with small private sponsorships from time to time. Yet, they have become a widely known South African cultural export.

Since its inception in 1998 under the guidance of founders Neels Hansen and Mimi Coertse, The Black Tie Ensemble (BTE) established itself as a performing entity which sets the standard for other companies to follow, with major recognition from critics, the corporate environment and audiences, as well as the Government.

In line with BTE’s motto of developing, nurturing and promoting young talented South African classical singers from diverse cultural backgrounds, BTE truly reflects the diversity of cultures of our country. As such, the members of BTE see themselves not only as ambassadors for the art-form which they pursue - but as role models and an inspiration for young people considering a career in the performing arts. The members of BTE realised this very early on – since the inception of BTE members of the ensemble have performed for overseas visitors during corporate events for the private as well as the public sector, as well as during various performances abroad.

Classical music and especially opera music is an international language, and it is a fact that countries accepted this art-form as part of their own culture, for example, Japan and China. South Africa is no exception with its rich historical legacy of singing, especially choral singing, and many of the excellent township and community choirs have a strong preference to enter operatic works for the multitude of choral competitions prevalent to South Africa.

Support and appreciation for this art-form has over the years seen a great increase through the outreach programmes of BTE and other agencies, as well as programmes such as BTE’s in-house training programme, the Incubator Scheme, which offers singers who cannot afford tertiary training the opportunity to pursue their studies and earn income at the same time. The Black Tie Ensemble consists of LOUETTE JOHNSTON (coloratura), BONGI MADLALA (soprano) DEWALD VON SOLMS (tenor), JONATHAN BOINAMO (baritone), VERAMARIE MEYER (mezzo), GIVEN MABENA (tenor) and LINDA ZITHA (baritone).

The audience will be treated to the programme that the BLACK TIE ENSEMBLE performed on tour in Nigeria and Cameroon. The audience will hear the music of Puccini, Bizet, Verdi, Gounod, Offenbach, Von Flotow, Saïnt-Saens, Donizetti, Tosti, Leoncavallo and more. The programme includes favourite arias from Atilla, La Traviata, Faust, Madama Butterfly, Carmen, I Pagliacci, Rigoletto, Tales Of Hoffmann, Merry Widow, Pearlfishers, Marriage Of Figaro, Don Carlo, La Boheme, Fledermaus, La Traviata, Frühjahrsparade, Student Prince, Vogelhändler and more.

Business Connexion is Africa’s leading integrator of competitive, innovative and practical business solutions based on Information and Communication Technology. The company has a proven track record in designing and implementing business solutions for many of the continent’s most successful public and private sector organizations.

Sibaya Casino & Entertainment Kingdom is destined to evoke superlatives. From the striking architecture and idyllic setting, to the awe-inspiring Afro-chic atmosphere and the fantasy world of our state-of-the-art casino, there’s nothing pedestrian about the latest jewel in Sun International’s crown.

Years and years of experience, an unfaltering attention to detail and a keen understanding of what really turns our guests on, has resulted in a unique entertainment offering that is as breathtakingly riveting as it is unforgettable, no matter who you are or where you’re from. Yet, in spite of the grand scale, you’re welcomed warmly and invited to be informal and at ease. If you can’t resist gawking or staring a little, we’ll completely understand. So, feel free. In fact, we’d be flattered. After all, we’ve really worked rather hard to leave our guests a little short of breath