NDUDUZO MAKHATHINI

‘I want to try to get the piano to speak the language of my people.’

Nduduzo Makhathini

A very special night with visionary South African pianist, composer, and healer Nduduzo Makhathini.

Nduduzo Makhathini grew up in the lush, rugged landscape of umGungundlovu in South Africa. The area is historically significant as the site of the Zulu king Dingane kingdom between 1828 and 1840. Zulu, in fact the African warrior code, is deeply reliant on music for motivation and healing. Nduduzo’s experiences as a traditional Zulu healer are inseparable from his improvisational performance.

Nduduzo’s music draws influence from South African jazz legends such as Bheki Mseleku, Moses Molelekwa, and Abdullah Ibrahim. He also blends flavours from the great American jazz canon – like John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, and Randy Weston. The result is a cross-continental, multilayered melodic groove.

Tonight Nduduzo performs music from his tenth studio album, released in 2022, In the Spirit of Ntu.

…what you’ll feel most acutely isn’t incorporeal but deeply human, a potent brew of fury, joy, and solidarity. Jazz Times

Nduduzo Makhathini (Un-de-doozo macker-teeny)