Johannesburg, Friday, 21 February 2025 – Two of South Africa’s most dynamic musical innovators, Jazz virtuoso, Nduduzo Makhathini and electronic pioneer, FKA MASH, have joined forces to unveil a reimagined version of “Re-Amathambo”. This remix is another example of how the worlds of jazz and electronic music can co-exist – while breathing new life into Makhathini’s deeply spiritual composition through FKA MASH’s signature afro house sound.
The song “Re-Amathambo” originally comes from Nduduzo Makhathini’s celebrated body of work “In The Spirit Of Ntu” which features an amazing vocalist Anna Widauer. The song is steeped in rich African heritage and layered with profound storytelling. Now, with FKA MASH’s eclectic touch, the track takes on a new pulse, bringing the textures of the original to a new bed of afro house rhythm.
FKA MASH, known for his ability to craft deeply emotive electronic productions, has previously collaborated with global icons and performed on some of the world’s biggest stages. His interpretation of Re-Amathambo pays homage to Makhathini’s spiritual essence while infusing the track with a rhythm that is bound to move dance floors across the globe.
Speaking on the collaboration, Makhathini shares: “The piece has had many lives, revealing the different truths about being in the world. It is fundamentally, a divination song that looks into disruption, the broken parts of our being (individually or even as a society) and seeks to harmonize towards healing. The song brings to focus ancient African technologies and their relevance in ‘modern’ times. I have been blessed to work with a friend and big brother of mine Black Coffee, he is the one that has introduced me to the dance music scene, the music convergences between this music and jazz, and essentially, to the great community of young producers. He first introduced me to Da Capo which resulted to the remix of ‘King Fela’ (also known as ‘Yehla Moya’) and now to FKA MASH. In both cases, he shared separate files to these producers, then returned to me to re-perform my piano parts. Again, the first time I was involved in a similar musical intersection was in Music is King (2018). I believe that there is an urgency to blur the lines between genres in order to realize new musical possibilities. From an improvisors standpoint, I require unfamiliar sonic territories to truly exercise my intuition and improvise in a true manner”.
FKA MASH adds: “This was a huge task. It’s been an honour and a beautiful experience to be trusted with this project. I appreciate the patience, support, and teachings of uNduduzo throughout this process. It makes me happy to finally share this with the world”.
“Re-Amathambo” is set to be a landmark release, showcasing the limitless possibilities when jazz and electronic music converge. Fans can now stream and download the track on all major platforms: https://nduduzomakhathini.lnk.to/AmathamboRemix