Nduduzo Makhathini Trio

Nduduzo Makhathini grew up in the lush and rugged hillscapes of um Gungundlovu in South Africa, a peri-urban landscape in which music and ritual practices were symbiotically linked. It is important to note that the Zulu, in fact the African warrior code, is deeply reliant on music for motivation and healing.  This deeply embedded symbiosis is key to understanding Makhathini’s vision. The church also played a role in Makhathini’s musical understanding, as he hopped from church to church in his younger days in search of only the music. The legends of South African jazz are deep influences as well, Bheki Mseleku, Moses Molelekwa, Abdullah Ibrahim and through his mentor Mseleku, Makhathini was also introduced to the music of John Coltrane’s classic quartet with McCoy Tyner.

Active as an educator and researcher, Makhathini is the head of the music department at Fort Hare University in the Eastern Cape.  He has performed at renowned festivals including the Cape Town International Jazz Festival and the Essence Festival (in both New Orleans and South Africa), and in 2019 made his debut appearances the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City, as well as Jazz at Lincoln Center where he was a featured guest with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra on their 3-night musical celebration The South African Songbook in Rose Theater.

Makhathini has released many highly acclaimed albums and In the Spirit of Ntu is his tenth studio album, second album to be released on Blue Note Records (which The New York Times named one of the “Best Jazz Albums of 2020”), and the very first release on the newly formed imprint Blue Note Africa. Folding a range of concepts such as ‘minor and major rhythms,’ ‘guided mobility,’ ‘active listening,’ and ‘ritualism’ into the project, Makhathini draws on his background in Zulu traditions and intellectual curiosities to inform his engaging articulations.

Nduduzo Makhathini – p, voc; Zwelakhe Bell Le Pere – b; Francisco Mela – dr.

Admission: pre-sale for seating 900 CZK, for standing 450 CZK and at the venue on the day of the concert for seating 1000 CZK, for standing 500 CZK. VIP admission: 1400 CZK (seating at the stage in direct contact with the band). There is no need to reserve a seat when purchasing a seating ticket. No club discounts. Thank you for understanding.

Band website: www.bluenote.com