Nduduzo Makhathini At The Philharmonie

Nduduzo Makhathini
The Philharmonie
Cologne, Germany
November 23, 2024

In the South African district of uMgungundlovu, November is a late-spring month of flipflops and chilled drinks. But icy wind was howling against gloved hands and mugs of hot Glühwein in Cologne on this November evening. The city in northwest Germany welcomed pianist and composer Nduduzo Makhathini to perform in its Kölner Philharmonie concert hall. It was a night of stark contrasts. And not just because the weather is so much warmer in Makhathini's birthplace.

Makhathini's eleventh release, uNomkhubulwane, came out during 2024. It was his third via Blue Note Records and he is the first South African to feature on the legendary jazz label. The setlist for this gig near the Rhine River showcased material from that record. Zwelakhe-Duma Bell le Pere, an American of South African descent, plays bass on the album and appeared at the concert too. Francisco Mela plays drums on the record, but Lukmil Pérez operated the kit in Cologne.

It was a small band. It was a big venue. The Philharmonie has two thousand red-upholstered seats that steeply curve up toward the heavens. Such spiritual realms are a key topic for Makhathini, who describes his albums and live shows as rituals with vibrational depth that can unlock healing forces and connect to the spirit world. As he shuffled out into the vast performance space, ghostly shapes chased him through lavender-scented stage smoke.

Five jarring right-hand bursts from piano kicked off the ceremony. A smooth rhythm followed. Makhathini sang in his high voice, interspersed by lines of prayer spoken in low tones. While the bass line stuck to a simple shape throughout, Pérez investigated the possibilities of his glittery golden drumkit. "Libations: KwaKhangelamankengana" was a typical Makhathini composition that orbits an unchanging core—gathering momentum on each lap.

After this dynamic tune, the group served up a gently swinging ballad. "Libations: Uxolo" had an intimate feeling, even in such a cavernous hall. It offered the first solo from Bell le Pere, who constructed busy melodic fragments separated by yawning blank spaces.

The evening drifted past like a shadow. After an hour or so, Makhathini abandoned his bench and roamed around in the footlights to give a speech about music's role in healing rituals and its power to open up pathways to a more forgiving, sensitive humanism. This food for the brain was followed by food for the heart when he returned to his pew and played the quietly soulful "Water Spirits: Izinkonjana," a piano-led piece with a gospel flavor and an irresistible groove.

The concert had no interval—perhaps to avoid disrupting the ritual. It did have two encores, however. Most memorable was "Inner Attainment: Amanzi Ngobhoko," where the audience got invited for a call-and-response in the Zulu language. It was a timid effort from the crowd, but a stirring effort from the band. Pérez won warm applause for his peppery percussion.

Outside, the frigid late-autumn air helped two thousand concertgoers to snap out of Makhathini's spell. The pianist has a knack for pulling listeners deep into his compositions, even when they are far away in the high-up seats of a giant venue. His music is full of stark contrasts. It is beautifully warm too. Like a mug of hot Glühwein. Or like the South African district of uMgungundlovu.

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