Any man knocking on Carmen Jones' door can surely be forgiven for feeling a little apprehensive. For me, standing outside Tsakane Valentine Maswanganyi's dressing room at the Royal Festival Hall, any concerns are not, however, connected with Carmen's musical warning that, "If I go for you, that's the end of you''.

A much more pressing worry is that, on face value, any Dear John special which sets out to discover the success secrets of this particular performer could end up as a very short article consisting of two basic but rather hard to duplicate steps - namely be born with striking natural beauty and be gifted with a phenomenal voice to go with them.

In the interests of journalistic accuracy I have to report that, even relaxing on the dressing room sofa in casual green rather than her character's signature red, it would take the entire CGI crew from The Lord of the Rings working overtime to make Tsakane look anything less than radiant. She communicates when speaking just as elegantly and passionately as she does when singing, with the added dimension of warmth and a sense of fun, which for obvious reasons has had to be kept in check while playing intense, fatalistic anti-heroines.

Fortunately from a career advice point of view, what comes across very clearly as she shares her experience is the impression that commitment, courage and a willingness to learn have been as much factors in getting her to where she is as having her natural giftings.

Opera was no more the first kind of music Tsakane heard and sang along to in Soweto, than it is likely to be for most young singers in this country. When she did get switched on to classical sounds (via her father's Reader's Digest cassettes) she is quick to give credit to her mother for inspiring her not just to follow her particular musical vision but to do so to the very best of her ability.

"My mother is a choir mistress, so I had a good grounding in the technical aspects of singing, but she also supported me, not only financially, but with encouragement and unwavering belief. When I changed my studies from public relations to music, many people thought I was mad to think I could make it in the classical world, coming from a township background.''

As it happens, our own chat is taking place just a few days after Tsakane's most influential 'critic' had arrived in the UK to see the show. It's no surprise that her mum's review was a favourable one - but it's evident that Tsakane's pleasure at this response stems not just from a daughter's affection but also from genuine respect and a high regard for her mother's own musical ability and experience. A love of costume and character and the theatrical aspect of opera is another fruit of her mother's influence.

Tsakane is particularly taken with my comment that Carmen, being an iconic title role along the lines of Batman or Superman, takes a lot of confidence to carry off.

"I'd have a lot of fun playing Batman,'' she laughs.

I recently spoke to Tim Dean, head of opera at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Dance, who agreed that the development of performance skills along with singing techniques is one of the most vital ones for any young singer aspiring to follow in Tsakane's footsteps to take on board.

He said: "Although your first experience of opera may be hearing it, to really get an idea of the skills you will need to be a successful performer, you should be aiming to see as much live opera as you possibly can. Opera is not just about singing songs, however well - it is about telling stories and playing larger than life characters."

Before Carmen Jones, Tsakane was best known as a member of the Opera band Amici Forever with whom a third album is in the offing. Very different from the various 'teeny pop opera' groups of recent years, this group utilises the diverse talents of several individually excellent and highly experienced performers in a similar way to Manhattan Transfer's take on jazz. Although Tsakane relishes the opportunity to "do things I wouldn't normally be able to do in a full opera scenario, such as funk up an aria, perform French chanson or sing in a short dress'', respect for the music is still at the root of everything she does.

"One of my big challenges in Carmen Jones was playing opposite Joe in the final scene. It's my favourite piece in the opera and I personally get so moved by his plight that I really had to work at generating the irritation and anger with which Carmen responds to him.'' The one thing she does express a desire to do more of in future roles is dance, which (not entirely surprisingly given the physicality she brought to her Carmen) is yet another of her talents.

It seems to me that so far Tsakane has done a very good job of managing her diverse skill set, something which, for some performers, can be as much of a challenge as a blessing. The fact that there are so many things they can do stops them from doing any one thing with the necessary application to make it successful.

The only question I can't get a direct answer out of Tsakane on during the whole interview is the one about what she would like to be doing in the next stage of her career.

"I tend to live in the moment,'' she says. However, in Tsakane's case I get the feeling that this is less about doing things without thought and more the fact that she gives her all to each job she does, believing that delivering quality will always lead to greater opportunity.

So far this approach seems to be paying off - she is looking forward to playing the lead in the forthcoming major production of Porgy and Bess - but she is just as excited about taking part in a more intimate recital of Ivor Novello songs at St Andrew's Church in London later this month, under the direction of her voice teacher Hamish Pitceathly.

As I'm making a mental note to book my ticket for the latter show early, as I suspect opportunities to see this particular singer in smaller venues may not be around for much longer, the company manager returns to politely chuck me out. Not even the multi-talented Ms Maswanganyi can chat and eat her pre-show meal at the same time.

Given that the lady herself is too modest to make predictions for her future, here are a few parting ones of my own. While her interpretation of Bess will no doubt be as individual as her Carmen, I predict that any producer who is prepared to think outside the box of leading parts traditionally available to black female singers will find in this singer someone more than capable of justifying their faith.

More to the point, I think her work ethic combined with her understanding that even at the top level there is more
to life, makes her an excellent role model, not just for opera singers but for performers in general.

As for a lead role in Batman - the Opera... well, given the preconceptions she has already surmounted, if Tsakane were to really put her mind to it, I for one wouldn't bet against her.

Tsakane Valentine Maswanganyi is appearing in Ivor Novello - A Man and His Music at St Andrew's Church, Holborn Circus, London on September 27 and 28, 2007. Details from 08707 554 555. Details of opera courses at Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama are available on www.rsamd.ac.uk

Source: The Stage