Jazz artist, pianist and composer Nduduzo Makhathini continues to provide healing through sound in his latest offering, Ikhambi.
The album received the best jazz album and best engineered album nominations last week at the Sama nominations event held in Johannesburg.
The album is Makhathini’s eighth. His previous works include the South African Music Awards (Sama) best jazz album Inner Dimensions, Mother Tongue, Sketches Of Tomorrow, Listening to the Ground, Matunda Ya Kwanza, Icilongo – The African Peace Suite and Reflections.
Makhathini, who is now signed under Universal Music, said the vision for his music was still premised on the same concepts of ukuthwasa (sangoma’s training) and ubungoma (divination).
Ikhambi is the first album released under Universal Music.
“Universal came into my vision and for them to give me a bigger resonance. Major record companies often want to come up with their own vision but I am grateful that they are cognisant and sensitive to things that are important to me,” he said.
He said the album was about looking at proposing new imaginations around healing and bringing cures.
“On this album I was looking at ways of packaging medication or healing processes in a sonic sort of representation through sound.
“One of the songs looks into ways of repackaging ubungoma . How do we in a modern sense package ubungoma in a way that appeals to the youth of today, and also as a way of bringing ubungoma closer to the people through the music and what people are familiar with,” he said.
Makhathini said each song on the album had an anecdote.
“There is a lot I’ve written that explains what these songs stand for symbolically and what they are trying to achieve,” he said, adding that he was deliberate about text on this album and sometimes he read some of it during performances.
Reflecting on his recent Sama nominations, Makhathini said he was humbled.
“This is my third nomination at the Samas. My album Inner Dimensions won the best jazz album last year and it was the first time winning a Sama.
“I am excited about this and that even such narratives get recognition at the Samas is a big thing,” he said, adding that through his music he wanted people to think about the processes of healing.
“These are some of the things that are fading out in society. We need to be deliberate about our music and create physical change,” he said.
Makhathini said he was amazed by the response since the release of Ikhambi.
“The general public has been telling me about how the album resonates with their lives and I am humbled by that,” he said.
Makhathini said he would be doing a tribute show to the late pianist, saxophonist, guitarist, composer and arranger, Bheki Mseleku.
“My master’s thesis was about encountering Bheki Mseleku and now I will be honouring him and remembering his contribution to jazz in South Africa,” he said. — poliswap@dispatch.co.za
Jazz muso’s album brings healing
The album received the best jazz album and best engineered album nominations last week at the Sama nominations event held in Johannesburg.
The album is Makhathini’s eighth. His previous works include the South African Music Awards (Sama) best jazz album Inner Dimensions, Mother Tongue, Sketches Of Tomorrow, Listening to the Ground, Matunda Ya Kwanza, Icilongo – The African Peace Suite and Reflections.
Makhathini, who is now signed under Universal Music, said the vision for his music was still premised on the same concepts of ukuthwasa (sangoma’s training) and ubungoma (divination).
Ikhambi is the first album released under Universal Music.
“Universal came into my vision and for them to give me a bigger resonance. Major record companies often want to come up with their own vision but I am grateful that they are cognisant and sensitive to things that are important to me,” he said.
He said the album was about looking at proposing new imaginations around healing and bringing cures.
“On this album I was looking at ways of packaging medication or healing processes in a sonic sort of representation through sound.
“One of the songs looks into ways of repackaging ubungoma . How do we in a modern sense package ubungoma in a way that appeals to the youth of today, and also as a way of bringing ubungoma closer to the people through the music and what people are familiar with,” he said.
Makhathini said each song on the album had an anecdote.
“There is a lot I’ve written that explains what these songs stand for symbolically and what they are trying to achieve,” he said, adding that he was deliberate about text on this album and sometimes he read some of it during performances.
Reflecting on his recent Sama nominations, Makhathini said he was humbled.
“This is my third nomination at the Samas. My album Inner Dimensions won the best jazz album last year and it was the first time winning a Sama.
“I am excited about this and that even such narratives get recognition at the Samas is a big thing,” he said, adding that through his music he wanted people to think about the processes of healing.
“These are some of the things that are fading out in society. We need to be deliberate about our music and create physical change,” he said.
Makhathini said he was amazed by the response since the release of Ikhambi.
“The general public has been telling me about how the album resonates with their lives and I am humbled by that,” he said.
Makhathini said he would be doing a tribute show to the late pianist, saxophonist, guitarist, composer and arranger, Bheki Mseleku.
“My master’s thesis was about encountering Bheki Mseleku and now I will be honouring him and remembering his contribution to jazz in South Africa,” he said. — poliswap@dispatch.co.za
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