Nduduzo Makhathini Quartet
Tony Kofi saxophone, Nduduzo Makhathini piano, Geraud Portal bass, Lukmil Perez drums.
Ndudzo Makhatini grew up on the east coast of South Africa. His grandmother was a healer who used songs and music, much like the zulu warriors who came from the same area. The piano entered his life through his mother. In his spirited playing, he links ritual music with jazz and gospel, in the tradition of South African jazz legends such as Bheki Mseleku, Moses Molelekwa en Abdullah Ibrahim.
Outside of South Africa, Ndudzo Makhathini became known as the pianist in the group The Ancestors led by saxophone sensation Shabaka Hutchings from London. Saxophone and vocals are prominent ingredients on his first album for the prestigious Blue Note label, Modes of Communication: Letters from the Underworlds. Before this, Makhathini had already released eight albums under his own name.