Mandela's night at the opera

The first African opera, based on the life story of a Zulu princess who chronicled in song the brutalities of British colonialism, opened here last week to huge acclaim, not least from star guest, Nelson Mandela. Princess Magogo kaDinizulu, an exuberant mix of European and African musical traditions, is playing, ironically, at the Pretoria State Theatre, former showcase of apartheid's cultural icons.