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- Mpumalanga-born opera singer Nkululeko Innocent Masuku wowed the Britain's Got Talent judges in a stunning performance.
- Masuku was showered with praise after performing Caruso by Lucio Dalla.
- The singer has featured in several productions throughout his career, including Porgy and Bess and Rigoletto.
Mpumalanga-born opera singer Nkululeko Innocent Masuku wowed the judges on Britain's Got Talent in an episode that aired Saturday in the UK.
The 33-year-old tenor has been part of international theatre productions and is based in London.
Masuku went onto the BGT stage with a beaming smile while his fiancée sat in the crowd.
The judges complimented his attire, and he shared that his mother made his top.
He performed the 1986 Lucio Dalla song Caruso and his powerful voice immediately took the BGT audience by surprise.
He elicited comments from the audience, such as "I've got goosebumps" and "Amazing".
"I'm kind of lost for words," said judge Alesha Dixon. "I found that overwhelming, actually. By the end of that song, it felt like I was just hit in the chest with this force, like it felt divine almost. This is your calling."
Judge Bruno Tonioli said Masuku is special; he even stood up while the singer was in the middle of his performance.
Judge Amanda Holden said:
"Simon says every year we got to keep raising the bar. When we're looking for talent, we can't look back; we have to have people who go beyond our expectations, and that's exactly what you did today. Hands down, in the 17 years that we've been doing Britain's Got Talent, you are by far the best opera singer we have ever had."
Judge Simon Cowell asked Masuku if anyone had ever told him he was not good.
"The worst thing was, 'You won't get really far with opera'," Masuku replied.
"I hope this idiot is watching this right now because that was wonderful…
He then got a yes from all the judges and Masuku was left very emotional.
WATCH THE PERFORMANCE HERE:
The singer expressed his gratitude on his Instagram story after the performance, writing, "Thank you, BGT, London and South Africa."
Masuku has received accolades for his opera work, such as the "Merit award in the 2019 SAMRO competition, a Drake Calleja trust award, sponsorship by The Tillett Trust fund, The Oppenheimer International Scholarship, and The Countess Of Munster Musica award," according to his website.
As a former member of Cape Town Opera, he made his debut with George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess; the production was in Argentina.
He has also been part of productions like Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto and Mozart's Die Zauberflöte.
