Dandelion Radio
Dandelion Radio
Dandelion Radio
Home page
Latest station news & Dandelion related events
Dandelion Radio's broadcast schedule
What you can hear in this month's shows
Profiles of our DJs
Tracklist archive for previous shows
Background info and history
Dandelion Radio's Festive 50 results
Dandelion Radio related compilations and releases
Photos of Dandelion staff and events
Sign our guestbook
How to get in touch
Recommended websites
Dandelion Radio is
fully licenced with:
PRS For Music - Performing Right Society PPL - Phonographic Performance Limited
Listen to Dandelion Radio - click here for web player or one of the links to the right to open the audio stream Listen to Dandelion Radio with media players such as Winamp, iTunes & RealPlayer Listen to Dandelion Radio with Windows Media Player

'Broadcast One' - Dandelion Radio's 1st compilation album

NEWS:
9 shows this month including Sean Hocking Remembering DJ Alfredo

Artist Info

Nduduzo Makhathini

Nduduzo Makhathini
Image from Discogs
Powered by Audioscrobbler™Nduduzo Makhathini (born in uMgungundlovu, Pietermaritzburg on 24 September 1982) is a South African jazz musician. He was the recipient of the 2015 Standard Bank Young Artist Award in the category of Jazz, and at the 2017 All Africa Music Awards he won the Best Jazz Artist award.

Makhathini plays with a bright lyricism and a full sound pallet that gives him a markedly wide melodic vocabulary. His music shares a comparative searching sensibility along with a keen spiritual focus like the music of the late jazz pianist, Bheki Mseleku.

Makhathini has toured extensively, having performed with Zim Ngqawana, Simphiwe Dana, Feya Faku, and McCoy Mrubata. He has also recorded with other strongly rooted titans such as Busi Mhlongo, Carlo Mombelli, Salim Washington and Herbie Tsaoeli.

Makhathini was born and raised in uMgungundlovu in South Africa’s Kwa-Zulu Province. The area enjoys a convergence of a heritage of ritual practice and music. It’s important to note that the area’s Zulu warrior code deeply relies on music for motivation and healing. This twin heritage of music and spirituality is central to understanding Makhathini’s musical project and vision.

Coming from a musical family, Makhathini’s love for music began at an early age. His late father, Sibusiso was a singing guitarist. It was in one of Sibusiso’s isicathamiya outfits that young Makhathini got his first taste of life as a musician; along with the piano lessons and mentorship from his mother, Nomajerusalema. She was also responsible for raising her son immersed in a life of choirs and church music.

This elegant mix of heritage and modern sensibilities underscores Makhathini’s work as a kind of musical activist on behalf of African traditions of healing. He delivered a TEDX talk in Gaborone which looked at 'A new look towards ubungoma practices and articulations.' ubungoma is a Zulu word that refers to the gift and practice of healing and divination - the word ngoma means song. Hence music, often drumming and dance are central to the spiritual rituals.

Makhathini is also a producer for a number of notable award winning artists and nominees, such as Mbuso Khoza with the album Zilindile, which won best contemporary jazz album at the 2013 Metros. He also produced Lindiwe Maxolo’s album Time, nominated best jazz album at the 2013 SAMA’s.

Sisa Sopazi‘s album Images and Figures which was nominated best jazz album at the 2014 SAMA’s and Tumi Mogorosi’s album Project Elo, nominated best jazz album at the 2014 SAMA’s, were produced by Makhathini. He also produced Thandiswa Mazwai‘s Belede, which was nominated for best urban jazz album at the 2017 Metros.

So far, Makhathini has released eleven albums. Sketches of Tomorrow and Mother Tongue were released in 2014. Mother Tongue was nominated for best jazz album at the 2015 SAMA's. His third album, Listening to the Ground, was released in 2015 and was nominated for best urban jazz album at MMA’s 2016 and Best Jazz Album at the SAMA 2016.

Makhathini‘s fourth album, Matunda Ya Kwanza, Vol. 1 was also released in 2015. The albums Icilongo: The African Peace Suite and Inner Dimensions, with Umgidi Trio and One Voice Vocal Ensemble, were both released in 2016. His seventh album, Reflections, is a solo piano album released in 2017.

iKhambi, also released in 2017, is Makhathini‘s eighth album. The record takes its title from a Zulu word used by traditional doctors and herbalists to refer to a mix or concoction of healing herbs. So, in the context of this record, iKhambi speaks to ‘a projection of a healing energy through a sonic experience’. iKhambi is his only album released with Universal South Africa.

Makhathini released his ninth album, Modes Of Communication: Letters From The Underworlds, with Blue Note in 2020. It was named one of the “Best Jazz Albums of 2020” by The New York Times. He released his first EP The Blues of a Zulu Spirit, a year later in 2021. His tenth album In The Spirit Of Ntu followed in 2022.

In 2024 Makhathini released his most recent album, uNomkhubulwane. This rapidly growing catalogue was made in part possible by a creative and life partnership he shares with his wife, Omagugu who he describes as “my anchor and partner.” Together they built the platform though which his earlier records were released, Gundu Entertainment.

Makhathini is a SA Music AWARD winner of Best Jazz album and the Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner for 2015. Makhathini completed his Diploma in Jazz Piano at Durban University of Technology in 2005, and obtained his master’s degree with Stellenbosch University. He received a PHD in music from the University of Stellenbosch in 2023.
Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
Artist biography from last.fm




Some other places to look for information:
last.fm
Discogs
MusicBrainz