TRIBUTE TO JUAN BURGERS FROM RAPHAEL VILAKAZI

 

(Juan Burgers - Pic by Val Adamson)

 

Tribute by Raphael Vilakazi (opera singer and producer)

 I am shocked and saddened to hear about the passing of Juan Burgers. A great Maestro and a musician who did not just play music, but he created the space for others to find their own voices in the music space. Juan was robust, feisty and a perfectionist in a rehearsal room as well as on stage.

 Juan crossed barriers in the 1980's when it was difficult to enter townships, and at the time he stood apart. He criss-crossed different townships in the province of KwaZulu-Natal to accompany school choirs and community adult choirs. A white musician who rose above race, colour and creed, who was only motivated by serving classical musicians irrespective of their background.

 I met Juan for the 1st time in 1987 when I auditioned for the NAPAC Ad-hoc Chorus at the Playhouse in Durban, he saw potential in me and gave me the chance. I can safely say that he played a pivotal role in our country to open doors for black opera singers when the rest of South Africa kept them shut.

 Juan's own talent was undeniable, his greatest masterpiece was not just his piano playing, the music he wrote, his conducting, the choirs he accompanied as a pianist or the opera singers he coached and trained. His greatest masterpiece gift is the community of artists he inspired, encouraged, lifted up and built in the performing arts space in our country, some of whom are building singing careers here in South Africa and in different parts of the World. 

 He became a stepping stone for so many dreams, and he was an ultimate mentor for a lot of young opera singers who could not afford a single singing lesson. Thinking of a great choir, the audience watches a performance taking place on stage, but the music comes together because someone is directing that performance, ensuring tempo, diction, phrasing, voice balance and blending of the voices during the performance. To fellow musicians, Juan Burgers was that guiding light for so many of us.

He saw potential, opened doors for so many of us and he did not want to be the only loud voice in the room, instead he cared about making certain that others were also heard. In our space, he planted an entire forest. Juan shared the spotlight with his mentees by creating and affording performing opportunities to them. Personally, I was afforded quite a number of solo performing opportunities by Juan Burgers, either in the NAPAC Singers when I was still a chorus member or outside the Chorus when I was appointed as a soloist by NAPAC.

I am one of the lucky musicians who had an opportunity to work with this great son of our soil, not only as a mentee but as his equal on stage. In 2015, I had the privilege to produce his first opera called Ubuntu The Opera, which had its World Premiere in November 2015 at the Playhouse Opera Theatre, Durban. I am humbled that he afforded me the opportunity to produce his masterpiece.

Thank you, Juan for teaching us how to listen during rehearsals and how to collaborate with others. We appreciate that you were very much generous with your gifts, and you demonstrated to us that music is not a competition, but it is a gift to be shared. Yes, you may have put down your instrument now, and we may not be hearing your physical voice in any of our rehearsal rooms, but to us you are not gone.

We hear your teachings through the voices of so many opera singers and other artists you mentored. Your own voice is heard in every bit of success achieved by the singers you encouraged and helped. The music you composed is not over, it is being sung right this moment in different parts of the world by your mentees and by all those who appreciated your artistry.

Thank you for making our performing arts space so much brighter, and very much beautiful for generations to come. My heartfelt condolences to your family for losing a son, and to the entire classical music sector for losing such fine musician.

Rest in Eternal Peace, Juan.

 

Raphael Vilakazi (Opera Singer and Producer)