Encounter, Not Discovery, with Nduduzo Makhathini

The Myth We Chose, the entrancing new album by South African pianist Nduduzo Makhathini, foregrounds hope and healing, and a conviction in the redemptive power of connection. It’s a song-forward statement for Makhathini, who is also a composer, vocalist, philosopher, and ambassador for the Global South. This summer, he brought his trio to Solar Myth ahead of an appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival. On the first of two nights, he joined Josh Jackson for an onstage conversation about ritual, responsibility, and why he prefers the term “encounter” to “discovery” when describing a person’s formative contact with improvised music. Chapters 00:00 — Intro: South African jazz 05:00 — Zulu language, myth & musicality 11:30 — Music education, colonialism & Indigenous knowledge 15:30 — Growing up during apartheid 21:00 — Encountering John Coltrane & the roots of jazz 23:30 — The identity and sound of South African jazz 28:45 — Collective memory & the African diaspora 35:15 — Myth, ancestral memory & sonic creation 38:15 — Ndu cosmology, time & musical continuity 41:00 — Artificial intelligence, knowledge & human experience 45:15 — Nate and Josh on music, healing & ancestral knowledge 49:30 — “This I Dig” 53:15 — South African music, cultural boycotts & current debates 56:15 — Closing credits Want to support The Late Set? Become a WRTI member: wrti.org/donate Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/wrtimusic Subscribe to our YouTube: youtube.com/@WRTImusic Write us an email: editor@wrti.org