Philip Miller composes score for MultiChoice’s prestigious new show ‘Shaka iLembe’
Award-winning South African composer and sound artist, as well as Sheer Client, Philip Miller, composed the score for MultiChoice’s new show ‘Shaka iLembe’ for Bomb Productions with Mbuso Khoza. This is the biggest Multichoice production of the year and we are excited that one of our clients is part of the music scoring.
Nkoli: The Vogue-Opera is a groundbreaking new work created by Philip Miller, with co-lyricist S’bo Gyre . It’s about the life and trials of Simon Nkoli, a gay anti-apartheid freedom fighter and AIDS activist who was imprisoned for four years on charges of treason in the famous Delmas Treason trial (1985-1988). He went on to organize the first gay pride march in Africa, and ensure gay rights were enshrined in our democratic constitution. Part opera, part vogueing-ball, Nkoli: The Vogue-Opera, is as fierce and fabulous as Simon was. “Think if Hamilton and RuPaul’s Drag Race had a baby in South Africa. That’s Nkoli: The Vogue-Opera!” says S’bo Gyre. With a cast of more than 26 top singers, dancers, voguers and musicians the production is highly contemporary in feel with a mix of rap, opera, protest songs and archival audio clips. Nkoli: The Vogue-Opera premiered in Johannesburg in November 2023 at the Market Theatre where it played to full houses every night.
Nkoli is also a bigger artivism project, with a wide reaching social media campaign, funded by The Bertha Artivism Award. The campaign has been running since March 2023 on twitter/X, Instagram and tik-tok. This vibrant campaign, draws on elements of the live vogue -opera, using video clips, song and story to celebrate Simon’s life and spark debate and action around queer rights and justice today.
Check it out here:
Bertha Artivism Awards 2023 Cohort - Bertha Foundatation
Activist Realness from Nkoli Vogue opera conceived and composed by Philip Miller
"Who will remember me" featuring Ann Masina from Nkoli The Vogue Opera, Market Theatre November, 2023 Conceived and composed by Philip Miller
Reuturs: South Africa's 'vogue opera' honours life of gay queer anti-apartheid activist Nkoli
The Conversation: Nkoli: The Vogue Opera – the making of a musical about a queer liberation activist in South Africa
Philip Miller in collaboration with William Kentridge has released 50 limited edition vinyls of the installation “You who never arrived” commissioned by the Kaunas European Capital of Culture 2022 for the exhibition That which we do not Remember (2022). Together with a specially designed album cover containing the vinyl record, is a signed digital archival print by William Kentridge and Philip Miller.This edition is for sale at The Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg and London
Contact +44 20 8125 4065 at Goodman Gallery or through Philip Miller at info@philipmiller.co.za
Price: R5000
Digital audio Mp3 sample is included for listening
Sound mixed and designed by Gavan Eckhart, Soulfire studio.
Vinyl design: Marcos Martins
Installation design by: Sabine Theunissen
A Little or No Breeze composed by Philip Miller
