Among Saturday's many festivities, the Minnesota Orchestra will premiere an orchestral work called "Harmonia Ubuntu," a tribute to the late South African leader Nelson Mandela by Cape Town composer Bongani Ndodana-Breen. We spoke with the composer via Skype about his new piece, specially commissioned by the orchestra — and about Mandela's legacy.
Q: The Minnesota Orchestra commissioned your new piece, which you call "Harmonia Ubuntu." Can you elaborate on the title?
A: Ubuntu is what Nelson Mandela stood for. It's an African philosophy which says my humanity is tied to your humanity, my dignity to your dignity, and how I treat you. That was Mandela's message. And he went to prison for it for 27 years.
Q: Were you excited to get the commission?
A: To celebrate the legacy of Mandela is a beautiful thing, especially at a time when the world faces so much inhumanity, hate and divisions. Like Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi, Mandela can show people the potential of actually being human.
Q: You were born and raised in South Africa. To what extent was your music shaped by your personal background?
A: Unfortunately, my life has been defined by my circumstances, which was growing up black under apartheid — a terrible thing which defined people by skin color, oppressed them and limited human potential in an incredible way.
Q: What type of impact do you think the Minnesota Orchestra's trip to South Africa will have?
