SA mourns Pavarotti's death
2007-09-06 16:53
Pretoria - Luciano Pavarotti fought a long, hard battle against his circumstances and background and fittingly became a success, Arts and Culture Minister Pallo Jordan said on Thursday.
Paying tribute to the legendary Italian tenor who died at the age of 71 on Thursday after battling pancreatic cancer, Jordan said he was an example of the triumph of the human spirit and man's ability to transcend his circumstances and background.
'Generosity of spirit'
"Ever since the dawn of freedom and democracy the image and presence of this titan of opera lingers and we have been inspired by his expansive personality, charm and generosity of spirit," Jordan said.
Pavarotti performed three times in South Africa - in 1996, 1999 and again in 2005 when he performed to an audience in Centurion as part of his farewell world tour.
"We are proud to have been touched by the life of one of the most authentic, brilliant and healing voices in opera today," Jordan said.
- SAPA