Likwezi Arts

INTERNATIONAL JAZZ STAR KABELO MOKHATLA RETURNS HOME WITH HIS NEW YORK QUARTET TO PRESENT GRACE

Fresh from the world's most prestigious jazz stages, New York-based South African drummer, composer and bandleader Kabelo Mokhatla brings his acclaimed US-based quartet to South Africa for the launch of his highly anticipated new album, GRACE.

Originally from Johannesburg and now based in New York City, Mokhatla has emerged as one of the most exciting voices of his generation. A Hugh Masekela Heritage Scholar at the Manhattan School of Music, he has performed at internationally renowned venues and festivals including NPR's Tiny Desk Concert Series (with the Nduduzo Makhathini Trio), North Sea Jazz Festival, Jazz at Lincoln Center's Dizzy's Club, Blue Note Tokyo, The Jazz Gallery, Birdland Hamburg, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Cape Town International Jazz Festival and Standard Bank Joy of Jazz.

An award-winning drummer and composer, Mokhatla's music bridges South African heritage and contemporary global jazz, creating a sound that is at once deeply personal, spiritually uplifting and boldly adventurous. His debut album, The Key to Authenticity (2023), received four Mzantsi Jazz Award nominations and was praised for its originality and "warm sound of home."

Now, Mokhatla unveils GRACE, a powerful new body of work that reflects on the roads travelled, the people who shaped him, and the lessons gathered along the way. It is both a celebration of the past and an embrace of the future—a musical offering of gratitude, growth and transformation.

Drawing inspiration from masters such as Max Roach, Elvin Jones, Brian Blade, Zim Ngqawana and Albert Ayler, Mokhatla's compositions balance vulnerability with intensity, intimacy with freedom. His mission is simple yet profound: to create music that lifts the soul, transforms space and radiates hope.

Don't miss this rare opportunity to experience one of South Africa's most celebrated international jazz artists alongside his exceptional New York quartet in a performance that promises virtuosity, honesty and unforgettable musical storytelling.

This album is gratitude.

This album is process.

This album is becoming. :::

This version reads more like a major international jazz festival announcement and immediately establishes Kabelo's global credentials before introducing the album.