Opera star Pretty Yende has shared the news via social media that she has been awarded the Order/knight of the Star of Italy.
The Ordine Stella d'Italia was awarded to Yende by the Italian consul, Emanuele Pollio, in Cape Town on Wednesday.
Thirty-four-year-old Yende was born in Piet Retief, Mpumalanga and was inspired to study opera at the age of 16 after seeing a British Airways TV advertisement that featured the Flower Duet from the famous opera Lakmé.
Yende wrote on Instagram, "Being a recipient of ‘The Order/knight of the Star of Italy’ deeply humbles and fills me with immense gratitude for such an extraordinary decoration". She dedicated the accolade to her mother and sister, who incidentally, is also an opera singer.
