Live and online: Nduduzo Makhathini- In the Spirit of Ntu- in concert at the Norval Foundation

Live and online: Nduduzo Makhathini- In the Spirit of Ntu- in concert at the Norval Foundation- October 1 and 2, 2021

Nduduzo Makhathini won the Standard Bank Jazz Artist award in 2015 and is an astounding artist to see performing on stage. He is performing this weekend at the Norval Foundation, in Cape Town – with a preview concert of his upcoming album, In the Spirit of Ntu. The 1^st show at 5pm on Friday – October 1 – has sold out and now a 2^nd live show has been added on Saturday October 2. However, with lockdown restrictions, the 2nd show is also likely to sell out, so with this in mind, it has been decided to record the show on October 1 and it will be live streamed on Quicket. Thereafter, it will be available for viewing for a week, on Quicket.

The album, Makhathini’s tenth, was recorded in Cape Town and will be released by Blue Note next year [2022]. For the concerts at The Norval, he will be joined on stage by the National Youth Band of Jed Peterson (saxophone), Dane Paris (drums) and Stephen de Souza (double bass). Makhathini mentored the band at this year’s National Arts Festival ,which took place online.

Makhathini has performed at the Cape Town Jazz Festival but the shows at the Norval, will be the first time that he is performing in Cape Town – ie besides the Jazz Festival. He says: “I am humbled to say that so many people have asked when I will perform in Cape Town and when Covid put paid to my plans to record this album in the USA, it just fell into place.” He says that the tracks on this album “speak to many things, especially what humanity is faced with”.  He reflects:  “The riots, the looting and the burning which disrupted South Africa earlier this year was an expression of the anxiety of people, and in this context I have used the role of sound as part of the discourse.  It has been a privilege that we have been able to play this music at this time of conflict and confusion and my songs project the trajectory from the start of the riots to the end of the burning, leaving just one question: what is left.”

As to how Ntu may be translated, he says: “In the Spirit of Ntu, a rough translation being ‘vital force’, confronts the problems of our time, explores how we have lost our culture and values and how we can re-instil them.  It anchors my other albums like, Listening to the Ground, looking at what counts as knowledge in African oral traditions.” All the tracks on the album are new. Capetonians are getting a sneak preview- and those lucky to have tickets will see this talented and charismatic artist live at the Norval, performing on a Fazioli Grand piano, generously supplied by Ian Burgess Simpson Pianos. It is great that the magic of Makhathini will also be available via the stream on Quicket.

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