HARARE - South African based vocal duo Shirilaulu featuring a Zimbabwean, Yemurai Matibe, presents their recital "100 Tongues", which debuted at this year's Grahamstown National Arts Festival. The “100 Tongues”, is a showcase of music from several different languages including Shona, Finnish, Afrikaans, German and French.
The group will stage shows both in Harare and Bulawayo next week.
The name Shirilaulu is a combination of “shiri” – the Shona word for bird – and “laulu” – the Finnish word for song.
Shirilaulu was formed in 2009 and gave their debut recital in Grahamstown in May this year. They have also performed in Hogsback (Eastern Cape), and are currently planning to record their first CD.. The group consists of Rhodes University music students Matibe (soprano), Lotta Matambo (mezzo-soprano) and Peter Cartwright (piano). Their repertoire includes works by Puccini, Mozart, Delibes, Mendelssohn and Rossini.
The singers met in the Department of Music and Musicology at Rhodes University and establishing an ongoing relationship through their involvement in the East Cape Opera Company.
Matibe was born in Harare and participated in many Eisteddfods since she was 10, being the finalist for the Monica Trollope Trophy for the Best Female Soloist.
In 2005 she joined the East Cape Opera Company where she has performed in many leading roles as Faithful Queen in The Moon Prince-Zimkitha in The Clay Flute-Pamina in The Magic Flute-Yum-Tum in The Mikado and Marguerite in Faust.
In 2009 she began teaching voice at Kingswood College and the Diocesan School for Girls in Grahamstown. She has been awarded the Grahamstown Training College Bursary for two years and is presently studying for Bachelor of Music at Rhodes University.
Lotta Matambo, of Finnish origin, studied piano and voice at Paijat-Hame Conservatory in Lahti.
After immigrating to South Africa in 2004 the studied at Rhodes University as a piano major under Catherine Foxcroft ,later changing her major subject to voice under Gwynneth Lloyd.
In 2007 Lotta joined the East Cape Opera Company and has performed in the roles of 3rd lady in the Magic Flute, and Carmen in Bizet’s opera for the ECOC Opera Divertissement production in 2009.
She has been a soloist in several Bach Cantata’s and solo performed in concerts held in Finland, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
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