Mascato Youth Choir

BIO

The Mascato Youth Choir was established in 1996 by Ena Venter, a retired music teacher from Swakopmund, Namibia. Ena founded Mascato when she realized music teaching no longer formed part of the formal school curriculum. The choir is therefore a platform for young singers who want to professionally prepare themselves into the music industry. Over nearly 20 years, the choir has made an impact in surrounding communities, with over 2000 young people learning new skills from the veteran music teacher.

In 1997 and 1998, Mascato were medal winners in two different international choral competitions in South Africa. In 2000, the choir made their first tour of Germany and France. In 2003, they held a concert in Galicia, Spain and represented Namibia at the 12th World Gymnaestrada in Lisbon, Portugal. In 2004, they hosted two distinguished youth choirs from South Africa: the Port Elizabeth University and the Pro Cantu youth choirs. In 2005, they were invited to perform at the South African Choral Society in Cape Town. In 2006, Mascato toured Alberta and British Columbia on the west coast of Canada. This was followed by the launch of a DVD called ‘The Past, Present and Future’ in December to mark their 10th anniversary. In January 2008, the African Union invited the choir to sing the AU Anthem at its 10th Ordinary Session of the AU Heads of State Summit. In May that year, Mascato was invited to participate in the Dresden International Children’s Choir Festival in Germany. They also held concerts in Ingolstadt, Quedlingburg, Wennigsen, Hannover and Berlin.

In Namibia, Mascato participated in the 2008 and 2010 Bank Windhoek Festivals at the National Theatre of Namibia in Windhoek. In 2009, they won the Imba Namibia, a competition between top choirs in Namibia. In 2012, the choir launched the Ena Venter Choral Trust Fund to celebrate their years of commitment, triumphs and transformation. Later that year, the group staged a production titled ‘The Cellist of Sarajevo’ as part of the Bank Windhoek Kalahari Ensemble. In 2013, they presented a successful annual showcase with the Friends of the Ena Venter Choral Trust association.