By Matty Bannond
Music is potent stuff for Nduduzo Makhathini. The South African pianist’s
compositions and improvisations are loaded with a force that he believes
can heal people, connect to the spirit world and invite humanity to
cultivate new ways of being. His eleventh studio album, uNomkhubulwane,
is a three-part ritual that pays homage to a Zulu goddess. It’s powerful.
And it sounds great too.
Makhathini is a Zulu healer, or Sangoma, and earned a PhD in 2023. His work
is often described in terms of mystical messages or cerebral concepts. It
seems important to mention, however, that he also has a prodigious gift for
music’s rudiments—rhythmic feeling, melodic clarity, momentum. Beneath its
metaphysical intent, his third Blue Note release showcases these gifts. He
is joined by bassist Zwelakhe-Duma Bell le Pere, an American of South
African descent. Francisco Mela plays drums.
The first track, “Libations: Omnyama”, opens with Makhathini speaking a
low-tone prayer. A pulse from piano arrives, supported by a
strong-but-simple bass figure and gently cajoling percussion. That
foundation stays in place throughout, even when the vocals become more
strident. Rhythmic and melodic shapes are the same thing here. Every sound
is part of a steady, relentless musical engine.
In the second part, “Water Spirits”, the atmosphere is hectic. Two pieces
in this section are panicky and heavily improvised. “Izinkonjana”, however,
has a gospel-adjacent and blues-ballad mood. When the pianist creates a
stirring passage of composition, he is often content to bathe deeply and let
it wash around him for a while without any restless compulsion to change
the water.
“Inner Attainment” is the third section and brings the record to a peaceful
close. “Amanzi Ngobhoko” is the penultimate track and features another
driving beat, this time more euphoric. The final tune is a solo piece
called “Ithemba”. Makhathini’s training in classical and jazz traditions is
spotlighted here. His patience, timing and communicative skills are in full
focus too.
There are spiritual forces and big ideas at play in uNomkhubulwane.
Nduduzo Makhathini is a deep-thinker and compelling talker. He is a
spellbinding composer and improviser too. Possibly, his music can heal
people and connect to the ancestral realm. Certainly, it sounds great.
The album is available on CD, vinyl and digital download here
.