“From Portugal, we will turn to Brazil and Mozambique, and the festival will be crowned by a concert of the brightest current representative of South African jazz, the first from South Africa to be included in the legendary US record company ‘Blue Note’ catalog, Nduduzo Makhathini,” revealed the festival organizer Antanas Gustys about the festival’s ambition.
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Besides the brightest improvisers from Portugal and Brazil, he managed to invite not only N. Makhathini but also the unique virtuoso of the African xylophone – timbila – Matchume Zango from Africa. Both artists base their work on the musical traditions of their countries, originally combining them with musical experiments, improvisation, and modern means of expression.
Mozambican percussionist, composer, and music producer M. Zango comes from the Zavala region of Inhambane province, considered the cradle of timbila music, which is included in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list. This shaped M. Zango’s life path – from childhood, he has been passionately interested in his country’s traditional music and dances, plays African instruments, makes them, and has become a recognized innovator of timbila, building bridges between Mozambique’s heritage and jazz, improvisational, experimental, and electronic music.
On October 16, at the Old Theatre in Vilnius, the artist will present an audiovisual program introducing the songs, dances, and rituals of the Makua and Chopi peoples of Mozambique and the Niau brotherhood, telling about the heritage and present of these traditional communities in a unique artistic language.
M. Zango graduated in music studies at the University of Cape Town, where he later taught. Over the past twenty years, he has toured many countries worldwide as a performer of traditional, experimental, and fusion music, composer, and masterclass instructor. The artist constantly collaborates with foreign creators, universities, festivals, and other cultural institutions.
Another African star, N. Makhathini, shaped his distinctive style through the folklore of the Zulu people of South Africa, the melodic works of jazz legends Abdullah Ibrahim and Bheki Mseleku, and admiration for American jazz – especially the legacy of John Coltrane and McCoy Tyner. From improvisations, contemporary soundscapes, and African color, N. Makhathini creates music infused with tradition and simultaneously innovative. This is evidenced by the colorful company of the pianist’s stage partners – from Wynton Marsalis to Shabaka Hutchings, the West German Radio Big Band, and producer Black Coffee.
The impressive experience of this musician is demonstrated by numerous performances on important world stages, including the North Sea Jazz (Netherlands), Newport Jazz, Essence (USA) festivals, the International Cape Town Jazz Festival (South Africa), New York’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, Washington’s The Kennedy Center, and London’s O2 Arena.
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N. Makhathini’s discography includes twelve original albums, among them four released by Blue Note Records.
The artist holds a doctorate in musicology from Stellenbosch University (South Africa) and teaches musicology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa). N. Makhathini’s work focuses on alternative jazz studies based on the cosmology of African Bantu peoples.
For him, making music is more than concerts. It is a space of collective memory and rituals conveying personal and family histories, cultural heritage, collective experiences, and faith in the future. His work resonates in time and beyond stages, sending a message to future generations.
All this is reflected in the latest N. Makhathini album “The Myth We Choose,” released this year by Blue Note, whose compositions will be heard on the Vilnius Jazz stage. N. Makhathini recorded this album with guest musicians and his trio, which we will hear at the festival on October 19.
The 39th international festival “Vilnius Jazz” concerts will take place from October 14-19 at the Old Theatre in Vilnius. The project is funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture and the Vilnius City Municipality. Tickets are sold by Bilietai.lt More about the events here.
