Jazz guitarist Jimmy Dludlu has come a long way since cutting his teeth with groups like Loading Zone and Mack Denite Thebe Mabanga There are many sides to Jimmy Dludlu. There is the stylish, celebrated jazz guitarist who strums his custom-made, semi-acoustic guitar to the delight of audiences on either side of the South African border. Then there is the lesser-known, budding writer, poet and competent painter. Talking to Dludlu, it seems the lesser-known side drives the persona. It does so by constantly feeding the accomplished side with a desire to be even better. It rumbles with the restlessness of unfulfilled ambitions. The energy manifests itself in interesting ways, one of which has been the dedicated pursuit of an illustrious academic career. His latest venture into academia has been a research project into West African rhythms funded by the Ford Foundation. “You are never just a musician,” he says of his decision to read widely (and rate Maya Angelou as his favourite) as well as participate in the programme. Of the programme itself, he says: “I was just trying to share possibilities and explore the link [between South and West African sounds]”.
And so it was that he spent the first six months of this year first in Accra, Ghana and then in Chicago, in the United States. In Accra, he worked with bands covering traditional and contemporary sounds. He then researched various aspects of composing and maintains that he has definitely laid the groundwork for collaborations in the future. At Chicago’s Northwestern University, Dludlu spent 10 weeks teaching and performing. He covered five themes, including the transmission of “Sounds in Southern Africa”, “Finding a voice in African music” and “Developing African cultural industries”. His best contribution though is probably “Crossing Boundaries in Africa”, an impressive study of Miriam Makeba’s wide- ranging musical influences from Benin to Zambia. His efforts earned him a diploma, to add to his degree from the University of Cape Town’s music school jazz programme. But, despite all his achievements, Dludlu is adamant that he will never be an academic. Looking at his musical career, it is not hard to see why. Last week, he flew out to perform at the first annual anti-racism concert at the Piazzale del Palazzolo in Italy. His European sojourns are occurring with remarkable frequency. They are prompted by his entry into the European market through the New York-based record label, Verve. He has performed at past North Sea Jazz festivals in The Netherlands and Cape Town. At his appearance in The Netherlands he appeared on the main stage with the likes of George Benson and Regina Carter. Dludlu’s ebullient hit, Point of View, has been featured in the compilation Heads Up Smooth Africa, which has been successfully released in the United States, where he now gets most of his fan mail. But is this not likely to lead to a point where his loyalty is tilted towards the international market? “You need some kind of balance,” he says. “As doors open, do not forget where you come from. Besides, at home the market is small.”
It is interesting to note that Dludlu is actually enjoying a second coming on to the global stage. His first was not as far flung. It was also less commercially rewarding, but more career defining. It actually occurred in the turbulent 1980s. This was the decade during which Dludlu cut his teeth performing with outfits like Loading Zone and a rock band called Mack Denite. He travelled the country’s major cities performing a combination of covers and original material. This would see him occasionally cross the border to perform in neighbouring countries. One such trip led him to Botswana’s independence celebrations in 1986 to perform alongside Zimbabwean legend Thomas Mapfumo. “There were a lot of exiles at the time,” he recalls. “The music was brilliant and I was grateful to learn. It was a mind opener.” The highlight of the experience was an encounter with one Themba Mokoena. Mokoena hails from Pietermaritzburg and at that concert “he played the guitar in a way I have never heard before”, Dludlu says. The affection with which Dludlu speaks of Mokoena, now based in Soweto, suggests that the only way to reward him is to have his work recorded. This period also shaped in Dludlu the proper approach to developing his craft. The seeds of his desire to go back to the lecture hall and hone his skill to a point where he could develop a custom-made guitar were probably planted during this phase. It was not until the 1993 National Arts Festival, where Dludlu performed by invitation from George Lee, that he finally realised his dream and registered at the University of Cape Town. The return to the lecture hall was followed closely by the release of Echoes from the Past. “That album is firmly rooted in the period around [the Botswana independence celebrations],” he says of his debut. He then tells a fascinating story of how in 1989 after a gig in Hillbrow, he was listening to Phil Bailey’s Children of the Ghetto and a melody came to his mind. The next day, at Gito Baloi’s studio in Berea, he laid it down. The result was Point of View. That version was played exclusively by Shado Twala. More than a decade later, an updated version was featured on his second album, Essence of Rhythm, with a South African Music Award-nominated video. Although he lost the video award, he actually won two that evening, bringing his total haul to four.
“My awards are merely acknowledgement. I do not want to be remembered by them, but rather for my product.” This explains why, when he went up to receive his second award, he simply said “thank you” with a smugness that suggested the recognition is overdue.
His product is a mesmerising mix of traditional and contemporary sounds, young and energetic as well as laid back. His latest recording venture is a remix of Winds of Change. “With a project like this, I am merely trying to showcase my various sides” – the most interesting side of which is a version that features Amampondo and Bongo Maffin. Amampondo bring their trademark chant to give the chorus an up-tempo feel. Bongo Maffin’s Stoan does what only he knows how to: rapping in Setswana. Thandiswa “Red” Mazwai feigns a lack of interest in proceedings as she gives a carefree, piercing cry. This is Jimmy Dludlu in his element. He has come a long way from the Guinness Jazz Festival in the early 1990s. Then, he invited his unknown peers Moses Molelekwa, McCoy Mrubata, Vusi Khumalo, John Hassan and bassist Fana Zulu. Today, all these artists need no introduction. What’s more, Dludlu also had an opportunity to reunite with some of them for the recent Old Mutual Jazz encounters. It represents the Nineties jazz revolution in a snapshot. Jimmy Dludlu will be performing at the Awesome Africa Festival in Shongweni Park, Durban, on September 24