Only six days have passed since the Ndlovu Youth Choir joined Queen legends Sir Brian May and Roger Taylor for a landmark performance in London, singing their isiZulu adaptation of Bohemian Rhapsody onstage with the rock icons.
Speaking this week from his home village in Limpopo, choir leader Sandile Majola described the experience as almost impossible to put into words. One moment, he said, Roger Taylor was asking for a selfie while he watched May play guitar and sang along to Radio Ga Ga; the next, he was back home in the heat, chatting while looking out at goats.
Majola was one of 12 choir members who appeared at London’s historic Roundhouse on Monday evening during Taylor’s Violence Insane in a Beautiful World tour.
The show marked the payoff from a project that began last year, when the choir created a fresh interpretation of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. Their arrangement incorporated isiZulu clicks and whistles, leaving only the famous “Galileo! Galileo!” refrain in English.
Ralf Schmitt, the choir’s artistic director, said he first presented the arrangement to Sony, but the music company rejected it and advised him to remake the song in English.
Schmitt refused to abandon the idea and instead contacted May, Taylor and the Mercury Phoenix Trust. All three embraced the arrangement and formally approved it. Released last year, the recording became the first commercially issued, legally authorised translation of Queen’s celebrated rock classic.
Earlier this year, Taylor approached Schmitt about recording two tracks with the choir for his upcoming album. The collaboration got under way with Taylor and his band working in England while the South African singers recorded their contributions at home.
During the choir’s recent sold-out run of shows in the Netherlands, Taylor reached out with an invitation for them to join him onstage in London.
Schmitt called it an exceptional opportunity that arrived as the Netherlands dates were coming to an end. The group was already in Europe, and its members still had valid visas after appearing at the Edinburgh Fringe festival. He returned home and said it was difficult to part from the singers as they boarded the Eurostar.
After reaching London, the choir went directly into rehearsals.
Majola said the musicians knew the material already, but meeting Taylor in person was still surreal. He described the drummer as wonderful and said Taylor asked the group to take selfies with him.
After a rehearsal run-through, Taylor asked them to remain for a while. Then May walked in. Majola recalled being stunned and realising the occasion had become serious. May greeted them warmly, saying he loved the choir, was a major fan and watched all of their videos.
The Roundhouse concert sold out, and the choir’s unannounced appearance received an enthusiastic response.
Queen’s official social media platforms called the evening “a real kind of magic”, while Taylor thanked both London and the choir online in response to the acclaim.
“We certainly had a great time! Until next time,” Taylor wrote.
Entertainment critics also praised the performance’s visual ambition and emotional force. One Times reviewer said the surprising meeting of musical styles and different generations turned Taylor’s inconsistent side project into a jubilant and wonderfully varied celebration.
Social media users and online reviewers joined in, describing the collaboration as a “legendary night to remember” and calling it the finest concert they had experienced in years.
