He studied jazz piano at Durban University of Technology, earning a diploma in 2005, and later completed a master’s degree and a PhD in music at Stellenbosch University. Alongside his career as a pianist and composer, Makhathini is an educator and currently heads the music department at Fort Hare University.

In 2020, Makhathini became the first South African artist to sign with Blue Note Records, a label with a long history in jazz. His debut album for Blue Note, “Modes of Communication: Letters from the Underworlds”, received positive reviews and was recognized by The New York Times as one of the best jazz albums of that year. His follow-up album, “In the Spirit of Ntu” (2022), continued to develop his sound and reach.

His music combines South African jazz traditions with influences from American jazz, especially the modal and spiritual jazz of John and Alice Coltrane. A key aspect of his work is the connection to place and ancestry, which he sees as important for South African jazz’s identity. He has also worked as a mentor, supporting younger South African musicians, and collaborated with international artists such as Wynton Marsalis and Shabaka Hutchings.

His latest release, “uNomkhubulwane”, is Makhathini’s eleventh album and his third on Blue Note Records, structured as a three-part suite inspired by the Zulu goddess associated with nature and fertility. The album, recorded in New York and just over an hour in length, features his regular trio with Zwelakhe-Duma Bell le Pere on bass and Francisco Mela on drums, and explores themes of African history, healing, and transformation through a blend of South African musical traditions and jazz improvisation. Upon its release in June 2024, “uNomkhubulwane” received critical acclaim for its thoughtful integration of ritual and spiritual elements, and Makhathini is now bringing this material to audiences across Europe as part of his current tour.

The tour itinerary covers several countries, including Germany, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Hungary, England, France, Portugal, Switzerland, Croatia, and Poland, with two notable stops in the Netherlands: Amsterdam and Utrecht.

The Amsterdam concert is scheduled for May 8 at the Bimhuis. Here, Makhathini will be joined by bassist Zwelakhe Duma Bell Le Pere and drummer Francisco Mela, the same musicians featured on the new album. The following evening, May 9, the trio will perform at Cloud Nine in TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht. Both Dutch concerts are part of a broader effort by Makhathini to present his music in a live context and with the Netherlands having a history of supporting South African jazz, these two shows promise to be something special.

Full tour dates are listed below:

– May 1 – Berlin, Germany | Pierre Boulez Saal
– May 2 – Antwerp, Belgium | deSingel
– May 3 – Greystones, Ireland | Bray Jazz Festival
– May 5 – San Lazzaro Di Savena, Italy | Sala Paradiso
– May 7 – Karlsruhe, Germany | Tollhaus
– May 8 – Amsterdam, Netherlands | Bimhuis
– May 9 – Utrecht, Netherlands | TivoliVredenburg (Cloud Nine)
– May 10 – Liège, Belgium | Jazz à Liège Festival (Cité Miroir)
– May 11 – Budapest, Hungary | Budapest Jazz Festival
– May 12 – London, UK | Ronnie Scott’s
– May 15 – Tourcoing, France | Tourcoing Jazz
– May 16 – Espinho, Portugal | Academia de Música de Espinho
– May 18 – Zurich, Switzerland | Moods
– May 19 – Vicenza, Italy | Teatro Comunale Città di Vicenza
– May 20 – Correggio, Italy | Teatro B. Asioli
– May 21 – Zagreb, Croatia | Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall
– May 23 – Warsaw, Poland | Jassmine
– May 24 – Poznan, Poland | Blue Note Jazz Club

from https://jazzineurope.mfmmedia.nl