Nduduzo Makhathini
Schedule
Sun Nov 10 2024 at 08:30 pm
UTC-06:00Location
210 Yale Blvd SE, Albuquerque, NM, United States, New Mexico 87106 | Albuquerque, NM
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Pianist, educator and researcher, Nduduzo Makhathini, grew up in the lush and rugged hillscapes of uMgungundlovu in South Africa, where music and ritual practices were symbiotically linked. The area is significant historically as the site of the Zulu king Dingane kingdom (between 1828 and 1840) and the Zulu, in fact, the African warrior code, is deeply reliant on music for motivation and healing, a symbiosis that is key to understanding Makhathini’s musical vision. The church also played a role in his musical upbringing as well as the legends of South African jazz, in particular Bheki Mseleku, Moses Molelekwa, and Abdullah Ibrahim. Introduced by his mentor, Mseleku, Makhathini, to the music of John Coltrane’s classic quartet with McCoy Tyner, he notes that he came to understand his voice as a pianist through John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme and says, “As someone who started playing jazz very late, I had always been looking for a kind of playing that could mirror or evoke the way my people danced, sung, and spoke. Tyner provided that and still does in meaningful ways.” Makhathini also cites American jazz pianists including Andrew Hill, Randy Weston, and Don Pullen as significant influences. The head of the music department at Fort Hare University in the Eastern Cape, Makhathini has performed at renowned festivals like the Cape Town International Jazz Festival and the Essence Festival (in both New Orleans and South Africa). He made his debut appearances at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City in 2019 and 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. In addition to producing albums for his peers, Makhathini has released eight award winning albums of his own since 2014 when he founded the Gundu Entertainment Record label in partnership with his wife, vocalist Omagugu Makhathini. His Blue Note debut, Modes of Communication: Letters from the Underworlds, released in 2020, earned widespread critical acclaim and made it on many end of the year “Best Of” lists. Mr. Makhathini will be joined by Zwelakhe Duma Bell le Pere on bass and Kabelo Boy Mokhatla, drums.
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Where is it happening?
210 Yale Blvd SE, Albuquerque, NM, United States, New Mexico 87106Event Location & Nearby Stays:
