The 2026 RMB Starlight Classics, what a memorable event it was

Curiously South African dance anthem Sister Betina got their subordinates sharing the dance floor and the music experience

By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor
Images supplied by RMB.

Business leaders, business executives, middle and senior management of top South African companies and ordinary classical music lovers, converged on the sprawling greens of the Johannesburg Country Club in Richmond, Johannesburg on Saturday, September 19, 2026.

All brought together by one common thing, the love of classical and pop music. Performed by a select group of talented musicians, from opera stars, pop musicians, R&B, isicathimiya, Afro-beat, kwaito, to amapiano, the reality in fact, was that this year’s iteration of RMB Starlight Classics concert had a rich repertoire of African music on its music menu.

The audience responded positively, junior employee and Chief Executive Officer of a JSE-listed conglomerate, the distinction and hierarchy was collapsed under the weight of beautiful music. The concert reduced all of us to the basics of humanity, and that is that before we earned our titles, we are all simply human beings.

The power of the performance on stage and the selection of popular songs that have been perfected over the years, from classical arias to pop sounds, some plugged from iconic films of yesteryear’s recognisable soundtracks and that were orchestrated so well that the music touched all the audience’s senses-hearing. Sight, smell, feeling and so forth and so on, the audience could not resist the magic on stage. 

In the process, as class hierarchies and social currencies and distinction merged, something beautiful happened on those green lawns of the country club. A happy audience that was simply in a hilarious mood.

As social status disappeared, replaced by an energy of ecstasy, we all rediscovered our common humanity, brought back to that realisation by the power of music.

The graphic work accompany each performance forming the background of each song being performed on stage, was simply magical, emotionally touching, demonstrating the genius of the technical producer of this concert.

I can tell you that when a giraffe, or was it a lion, sauntered in the background, seeming to cross the stage from one end to the other, that moment itself, was powerful. It took the audience to The Wilds, the restored Johannesburg Park in Houghton, that artist James Delaney gave a new lease on life. He rescued it from the clutch of criminal elements, turning it into a jewel in the city that now everyone is comfortable and feels safe to visit and unwind on weekends. Delaney did that by creating giant sculptures of different animals that he installed around the park. It is some of those animals that sauntered in the background of the stage as the performance clearly demonstrated the beauty that comes out of the intersection of classical music and visual art objects.

I am sure everyone who was there had their special moments of the musical extravaganza. They surely should have had. However personally, there are certain moments that have remained etched in my consciousness long after the stage has been removed and chair have been packed, and the crowd had left for their homes.

I was curious when a large number in the VIP section stood up and danced when the popular South African dance song Sister Betina was played as a music filler between performances. Suddenly the crowd spontaneously stood up, a junior bank assistant and their CEO went toe to toe on the dance floor. Started dancing en masse to the sound of Sister Betina, complete with its kwaito vibes. It felt almost normal to see the suits with their employees dancing to the same song.

Certainly, this is not normal behaviour in South African everyday experiences, where the social and corporate hierarches collapse, and everyone seemed at that very moment to remember that we are created equal before everything else. Such as titled that come with hierarchies.

For a brief but poignant moment, maybe two or three minutes that the song played,  this song with linear lyrics achieved what social architects, politicians and policy planners in South Africa, have for the longest of time, been trying and not achieving the desired social outcome.

It collapsed social hierarchies. This proved that even in a complicated society like South Africa, where the intersection of race, class, and gender, does not always produce a desired outcome, music can.

It is perhaps time that the powers that be, must consider using music as a tool of building a fractured nation, as music seemed to be a tool that could solve the problem of the elusive social cohesion, government has poured millions of Rand into since 1994, and yet the country, if anything, remains divided on race, class and gender lines.

Of course there were other notable moments that touched me during the RMB Starlight Classics music extravaganza. Such when we were requested to light the candles that were given to all the RMB guests, and were requested to lift the burning candles up. That moment was powerful and spiritually charged. The light from the burning candles, seemed to seamlessly meld nicely with the stage, and venue lighting to create a huge light experience for everyone. It was such that one could not distinguish the candle light, stage light and light produced by the venue light points. Whoever that idea was in the production, it worked very well.

When Belgium based South African jazz and opera artist Tutu Puone, performed a song titled Mpho, composed by her Belgian artist husband when she was pregnant of their daughter, in which music composer and other things cool about him, Neo Muyanga added his touch of magic, in the venue, we all felt as if we were also pregnant with her. Such was the power of this song that it actually defined in big ways, Tutu’s musical style as a whole.

I have known of Jesse Clegg, the young musician who increasingly was featured in his late father Johnny Clegg’s shows, particularly towards the end of his life as a result of cancer. I however, had not taken enough time to engage with his music by attending his concerts.

One of the reason for my apathetic attitude towards him was that by way of habit, I tend to regard children who are inspired by their fathers to follow the same career route with suspicion. The reasons are obvious and do not need to be articulated here.

But in this case, my suspicious were baseless, as it turned out on Saturday. The young Clegg has talent, and is a musician of substance and to watch out for on the South African pop music scene. He is not just a follower to his father’s spectacular music trail. He is actually his own man, who commands respect from the audience. He demonstrated that when he performed solo and when he collaborated with renowned isicathamiya vocal group Thee Legacy, inspired by the music and times of the late isicathimiya icon Joseph Shabalala of Ladysmith Black Mambazo fame.

And classical music lovers, there is a new voice, new operatic talent you need to take note, as she is poised to play an important role in the classical music genre. Her name is Sethabile Hlabangane. Her voice is clear and will take her to big spaces globally.

All in all, all the musicians who were featured took a good account of themselves on the day at this South Africa’s premier AfroSymphonic musical extravaganza, where homegrown artists came together for an unforgettable evening of music, dance and artistic brilliance.

This concert project is extraordinary on the local music scene as it seamlessly blends world-class music, dance and visual storytelling into a breath-taking experience. From opera to pop and classical to contemporary, it brings together diverse genres and extraordinary talent to create magical moments that captivate and inspire.

This year’s concert was directed by Darren Hayward, who is not only extraordinarily knowledgeable about classical music, but also humorous the The Phoenix CoOrchestra – A dynamic, professional South African ensemble based in Gauteng, explaining to the audience each section of the different instruments constituting that orchestra for the concert. His eloquence when it comes to explaining the role each section played in creating the musical experience was akin to a master a master class in orchestral arrangement.

  It must also be said that the co-hosts Katlego Maboe and Steinway artist Charl du Plessis, were superb and their delivery was as flawless as it was humorous and multilingual –delivering in faultless English, Afrikaans and Sesotho, a smooth presentation delivering a superb concert for everyone’s enjoyment.

The 2026 RMB Starlight musical extravaganza featured all in all the following musicians and ensembles:

• Internationally acclaimed operatic voices – Goitsemang Lehobye and Jacques le Roux
• Emerging operatic talent – Sethabile Hlabangane
• Award-winning contemporary artists – Shekhinah and Jesse Clegg
• Renowned isicathamiya vocal group – Thee Legacy
• Internationally celebrated jazz vocalist – Tutu Puoane
• Leading ballet company – Joburg Ballet
• The Phoenix Co Orchestra – A dynamic, professional South African ensemble based in Gauteng.

The 2026 RMB Starlight Classics, what a memorable event it was.