Ildo, his pals and all that jazz
XENOPHOBIC violence in this country is a clear indication that “the time to unite and acknowledge the oneness of humanity is long overdue”, says Mozambican-born bassist and vocalist Ildo Nandja.
With this thought foremost in mind, he and three local friends and fellow musicians – guitarist Sebastian Goldswain, pianist Sanele Phakathi and drummer Sidney Rash – will perform from 6pm today at Durban’s Centre for Jazz and Popular Music.
The venue is on the second level of the Shepstone Building on the Durban campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).
Billed as Ildo Nandja and Friends, the collaboration marks a reunion for four talented performers who, having studied and worked together, share a common love for jazz and a belief that music is a universal language that can promote unity.
“A lot of people are xenophobic, but do not incite violence, and such an attitude – considering yourself as different or apart from others – is not going to help cultivate unity,” says Nandja.
The quartet’s repertoire tonight will be a colourful blend, ranging from jazz standards to Afro-jazz and a splash of the blues .
“If you love jazz you won’t be disappointed. We will be playing the music of Oscar Peterson, Victor Lewis, Bheki Mseleku and Chick Corea, as well as original compositions,” says Nandja, a UKZN graduate who is now studying for his Master’s degree in music.
The musical diversity of tonight’s gig reflects each member’s individual experiences and the result is a combination of different playing-styles and influences.
“As a freelancer, I interact with all kinds of different musicians every day,” explains Nandja, pointing out that he and Goldswain first met at the UKZN Music School.
“I was a year ahead of him, but we were a part of the same ensemble and often played together.
“Sidney had already finished his degree, but we played together for a couple of student recitals. Since then we’ve regularly played together in different gigs.”
“As for Sanele, I met him a while ago, but only started playing with him in the past 18 months.”
The team have established a strong connection as a rhythm section, he adds.
Tonight’s campus gig will also feature two tracks from Nandja’s debut album, which he is recording at The Audio Suite in Westville.
Mixed by Dale Wardel, it will be mastered in the US.
Nandja, who composed all songs and came up with all arrangements for the collection, plans to perform two new tracks at the gig tonight – Metamorphoses and Flores do Jardin.
“My album will comprise 10 to 12 songs. The music is a result of my life experiences, so expect a variety of African rhythms blended with jazz, Latin and world music.”
The plan is to release the album during the second half of the year.
“It will feature some friends from Virginia Commonwealth University and local jazz musicians, including Sanele on keyboards,” says Nandja.
A series of concerts countrywide, and also throughout Mozambique, is on the cards to promote the new album, which has yet to be titled.