JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s first Black female conductor Ofentse Pitse, who founded her musical collective Anchored Sound at the age of 27, pushes the boundaries of a traditional orchestra in hopes of creating a Coachella-level experience.
With the help of 20 choir members and 19 musicians, Pitse is looking for a new sound by mixing jazz, pop, electro house and classical styles.
“Anchored Sound is about innovation, so the main gist of starting Anchored Sound was really to break away from what people normally see,” the young woman told Reuters.
Clad in a long black cape decorated with safety pins, Pitse performed on the stage of a crowded theatre in Johannesburg on Sept. 2.
“Ofentse was incredible on stage: her energy, her craft came across,” said audience member Kungwano Motswane after the show.
The audience praised the conductor’s creativity and her approach to creating music.
“I loved the arrangements, it was impeccable, it’s a good sound,” another concert-goer, Tebogo, said.
(Reporting by Sisipho Skweyiya; Writing by Anait Miridzhanian; Editing by Josie Kao)
