(Nina Mkhize)
The Centre for Jazz and Popular Music will present Nina
Mkhize on Wednesday (April 19).
Nina Mkhize is a jazz trained vocalist and composer and two
time winner of the Old Mutual Jazz Encounters Awards from Durban. Her
repertoire includes original jazz and African music compositions and renditions
of art songs standards. Her contralto voice has been described as breathy and
sultry, and the style of her music ranges from swing to funk to boss nova. Many
of the songs she performs are original compositions.
Mkhize counts the late Bheki Mseleku as one of her greatest
influences, whom she met while a student at the defunct music school at the
Durban Institute of Technology now housed at UKZN. Performance work has seen
her front as a singer for the ‘Shuttle Band’, a commission by the Nordic
Council of Ministers which saw a collaboration between an ensemble of South
African and Scandinavian musicians which included Ray Phiri, the late Gito
Baloi, Concord Nkabinde (SA) and Stien Casternsen, Bendik Hofseth, Ricard
Nettermalm (Norway).
Formerly, she has led the Standard Bank Youth Jazz Band
under the direction of saxophonist Barney Rachabane at the National Arts
Festival in Grahamstown. As a well-travelled performer has played at an array
of stages such as the North Sea Jazz Festival, SA 10th Democracy Celebrations
in Brazil, the Indoni Cultural, Joy of Jazz and Unyazi Electrical Music Festivals.
Shortly, she hopes to release her album of original music,
inspired by a culmination of life experiences in the world, to which she
attests have helped expand world view, thus growing her writing talents as an
artist which chronicle her journey through life in the jazz & African music
idioms. https://soundcloud.com/nina-mkhize-music
Mkhize (vocals) will be joined by Mthobisi Mthalane (piano
and keyboards), Mandla Zikalala (bass), Bucco Xaba (drum) and Sibongile
Mthethwa (backing vocals) at The Centre for Jazz & Popular Music (CJPM),
Level 2 Shepstone Building at UKZN Howard College Campus, Durban on April 19.
Doors open at 17h30 and the music starts at 18h00 Tickets R70 (R45 pensioners, R20
students) available at the door.
For more information contact Thulile Zama, Concerts and Jazz
Centre Co-ordinator, on 031 260 3385 or email: thulilezama@gmail.com