Nigeria’s Tiwa Savage and South Africa’s Pretty Yende and two African musicians, are billed to perform in London this weekend at the coronation of their majesty King Charles III and the Queen Consort.
Yende, an opera soprano singer in high demand, will lead a solo at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6 May. It will be the first time an African musician will perform a solo at the coronation of a British monarch.
King Charles, the 40th monarch to be crowned at the Abbey, will be the oldest to ascend the throne at age 74. Yende, 38, will sing ‘Sacred Fire’, a composition by British composer Sarah Class, Zulu songs on the way to church and gospel music with the choir.
The historical occasion is slated to take place at Westminster Abbey in London on Saturday, May 6, 2023.
Tiwa Savage at an event with the queen consort, Camila.
According to reports, Tiwa Savage will perform among a host of famous people during the coronation event and Big Lunch slated for Sunday, May 7, 2023. These performers include Steve Winwood, DJ Pete Tong, Lang Lang, Lucy, Paloma Faith, and Olly Murs.
Following the passing of King Charles III’s mother, Queen Elizabeth II, the monarch and Camilla will officially ascend to the throne at the coronation.
Being the first Nigerian artist to receive such an honour, Tiwa Savage’s invitation to perform at the coronation marks a significant turning point.
Tiwa Savage was chosen as one of the few African artists to perform at the historic coronation concert, according to a statement from the event’s organisers.
Tiwa, who is renowned for her soulful songs and exciting performances, is anticipated to give a performance that would enthral the crowd and make a lasting effect on the momentous event.
She would play on that day among an outstanding lineup that also included Paloma Faith, Steve Winwood, the renowned pianist Lang Lang, and pop icon Nicole Scherzinger.
Along with previously announced artists Take That, Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, Andrea Bocelli, Sir Bryn Terfel, Freya Ridings, Alexis French, and a collaboration of five Royal patronages, the incredible mix of artists is on the bill.
“Tiwa Savage will play at the coronation concert alongside other renowned performers, we are thrilled to announce. The statement added, “Tiwa Savage is an extraordinary performer with a distinctive fusion of African and Western sounds.
For Pretty Yende,this is a remarkable accomplishment for the South African who was born in 1985, at the height of Apartheid, in the Piet Retief township.
This once-in-a-lifetime performance is in stark contrast to what happened at the Paris Charles De Gaulle airport 23 months ago.
Even after she had shown the airport officials she had the necessary visa to enter Paris for a performance of La sonnambula at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, where she had previously played, Yende was strip searched, imprisoned in a dark room, and had all of her possessions stolen.
She performed alongside Bryan Adams and Andrea Bocelli at the 2010 FIFA World Cup closing concert, where she was praised for her “fearless” singing. She again performed with Bocelli at his 2011 Live in Central Park performance.
Yende, who attended the South African College of Music in Cape Town as well, received her big break when she performed in Rossini’s Le Comte Ory at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City in 2013. The audience was mesmerised by her smooth vocals despite the fact that she arrived with only one month’s notice. Even a minor tripping mishap on stage couldn’t dim her performance’s brilliance. She released her 2016 album, A Journey, which was praised for being a “sparkling debut album that unfolds like a musical diary.”
Yende first met King Charles when she was invited to sing at Windsor Castle by the Royal Philharmoni Orchestra in 2023. On Saturday, she will perform solo at his coronation.
She said, “I’m too excited to be nervous. “As a young girl, a South African, and an artist, it’s an incredible time in my life, and only joy floods my heart,” she said. Months after performing at Windsor, the 38-year-old was asked by phone to perform at the coronation in London on May 6 during rehearsals at the Vienna State Opera.
Yende recalled the evening at Windsor during a backstage interview at the opera house, “This was my audition I guess.” “That was the first time I met the king,” she remarked. “He was very warm and kind.”
After his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, passed away on September 8, 2022, King Charles III ascended the throne. On May 6, King Charles III and his wife Camila will be formally crowned.
The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II took place at Westminster Abbey in London on June 2, 1953. After the passing of her father, King George VI, on February 6, 1952, she ascended to the throne.
However, according to reports on Rolling Stone magazine, multiple artists, such as Adele, Ed Sheeran, Sice Girls, Elton John, Harry Styles and Robbie Williams — turned down invitations to play at the coronation.
Live broadcasts of the event would be made available on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 2, and BBC Sounds.
