The Centre for Jazz and Popular Music proudly presents the Collaboration of Maswitsi by Mokgethisi Nkotsi and H.O.P.E by Ofentse Moses Sebula on May 25, 2022, at 18h00.
Kgethi Nkotsi is South African trombone player based in Tembisa, Johannesburg. He started playing the trombone at the age of 16 and first started playing at the Moses Taiwa Molelekwa Arts Foundation under the guidance of Jerry Molelekwa, the father of the late Moses Molelekwa.
A year after he started playing the trombone, he was awarded the opportunity to go to Makhanda for the Standard Bank Youth Jazz Festival where he would be part of several workshops. Consequently, he moved to Durban in 2016 to pursue his music career and study music at University of KwaZulu-Natal. He has been exposed to a number of musicians he has looked up to, and has been fortunate to have played and jammed with them as well - the likes of Salim Washington, Andlile Yenana, Khaya Mahlangu, Billy Harpe, Steffon Harris, Leon Scharnick and many more. He has shared a stage with the legendary trombone player Steve Turre.
Kgethi Nkotsi has a debut project called Maswitsi consisting of his original compositions. Maswitsi a colloquial name for sweets. Kgethi Nkotsi’s music concentrates on the township lifestyle, township childhood games, humour, children, colours and sweets. He tells a story through titles of each song and structure of each composition.
Joining this double bill gig is South African tenor saxophonist, Ofentse Moses Sebula who is also from Tembisa. His hometown glory, where all his memories were made and music foundations were paved.
By the tender age of 9, young Sebula experienced a love like never before, he irresistibly grew fond of music. On his keen journey of music, he met Jerry Molelekwa who took young Sebula under his musical wing and taught him music and became a life mentor to him.
Sebula joined in 2012 as part of the Moses Taiwa Molelekwa ArtFoundation. In his fifth year course of learning and playing, he graduated to join the Taiwa Jazz Band. The band has successfully shared stages with prominent jazz artist like Nduduzo Makhatini, Yonela Mnana, Feya Faku, Lira and Sydney Mnisi just to mention a few.
2017, he was chosen to be a part of the Standard Bank National School’s Big Band, under the leadership of Kelly Bell in Grahamstown. 2018, the talent of Sebula was yet again a desired choice, he was part of the Standard Bank National Youth Band under the leadership of musical genius Amanda Tiffin where he got his very first standing ovation as he bought the audience to tears while improvising on his composition entitled Lost Souls'. The band was given an opportunity to perform at the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz, 2018, at the Sandton Convention Centre.
He has played with songstress Kamogelo Matsoso, Keorapetse Kolwane, Diteboho Kobedi, Nhlanhla Manana, Viwe Mkhizwana ,South African Tshwane Music Production, Etuk Ubong (Nigeria) and was also on a South African tour with the Federal Youth Orchestra (BJO) of Germany conducted by British conductor Alexander Shelley and won the Yamaha Gulf Saxophone scholarship competition in February 2020 that was held in Dubai under the guidance of Prof Karen Devroop and Thamsanqa Mahlangu.
He recently released an album entitled H.O.P.E ( Holding On to Positive Expectations) and has just completed his diploma with a Cum Laude pass at the Tshwane University of Technology. In the midst of a global pandemic, he managed to shine again and was selected for the Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Band 2021 under the musical genius Nduduzo Makhathini in East London.
Tickets R100 (R70 pensioners and R40 students). Bookings or for more information contact: zamat1@ukzn.ac.za
NB: The Centre for Jazz and Popular Music is practicing social distancing, hand sanitizing and the policy of ‘’no mask, no entry’ in accordance with government regulations. Consequently, the venue can accommodate 90 people in the venue only, and patrons are advised to book in advance to avoid disappointment
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