Ivan Mazuze Group

Mazuze released his debut album Maganda in South Africa, 2009. The album is a reflection of Ivan’s musical journey and experiences in jazz and African "worlds" of music. The debut album Maganda has received several music awards in South Africa, Mozambique and Norway. 

Mazuze has performed with internationally acclaimed artists such as Manou Gallo, Omar Sosa, Jimmy Dludlu, Hotep Galeta, Bugge Wesseltoft and many more. Mazuze has been featured at numerous international music festivals in southern Africa, South America as well as in Europe.

Ivan Mazuze is Honours in jazz studies and Masters graduate in ethnomusicology at University of Cape Town. Mazuze also writes ethno-musicological articles about music and trance in ritual practices, which has been released in the educational magazine “Talking Drum” (2007, no.28). Mazuze has also been part of a campaign initiated by the Ministry of Arts and Culture in South Africa to combat crime and poverty through musical education in some of the informal settlement areas of Cape Town.

In addition to education, after finishing his Masters degree, Mazuze has started an individual campaign to contribute towards enriching music libraries around some of the music and research departments in southern Africa. In addition Mazuze is recent also a music instructor for school bands around Oslo, Norway.

Mazuze has in the last three years been working with Norwegian based cultural institutions such as Norwegian Arts council and Department of Foreign affairs Norway to promote "world jazz" coming out of Norway.

Mazuze has recently released his latest album namely Ndzuti which means, “shadow” in the ancient language of Xichangana of southern Mozambique. The album was recorded and officially released in Norway in April 2012. The music on the album Ndzuti has elements from both southern and West African traditions with Jazz based structures. The album features African and Norwegian musicians residing in Scandinavian countries and guest artists such as the Cuban pianist Omar Sosa and the bassist and vocalist from Ivory Coast, Manou Gallo.

The album Ndzuti has already been chosen as one of the key albums of the year 2012 in Norway and has been nominated album of the month of April at RTP Africa (Radio, Television Portugal).

Mazuze and his band will be heading for several tours during the European autumn and winter 2012 to promote the album Ndzuti in countries such as Brazil, Cuba, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Italy, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe . These tours will include performances in some of the major jazz and music festivals in the world such as Mela festival 2012 and Havana International Jazz Festival 2012.

Saxophonist and composer Ivan Mazuze is:

• Recommended Best Newcomer and saxophonist of 2010 at

African Jazz Network.

• Award winner for Best Jazz Album and Best Jazz/Fusion

Instrumental Album at Mozambique Music Awards 2010.

• Award nominee for Best Contemporary Jazz album of the year

2010 at the SAMA awards (South African Music Awards).

• Finalist for Debut'09 for Best World Music Group at the Oslo

World Music festival, Norway in 2009.

• Winner at the Old Mutual Jazz Competition for Best

Composition, 2001, South Africa.

 

Amongst others he has performed with his own band/group at music festivals such as:

• Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2011 (South Africa)

• Womex 2011 (Denmark)

• Mela Festival 2010/2011 (Norway)

• by’Larm 2010/2011 (Norway)

• HIFA 2011 (Zimbabwe)

• Grahamstown Arts Festival (South Africa)

• Nick La Rocca Jazz Festival 2011 (Italy)

• Live Rock and Jazz Festival 2011 (Italy)

• Villa Celimontana (Italy)

• Tromsø Jazz Klubb (Norway)

• Maitisong (Botswana)

• Joy of Jazz (South Africa)

• North Sea Jazz Festival

• Furuset Jazz Festival (Norway)

• Center for Jazz and Popular Music (South Africa)

• Mozambique/Italia Jazz Festival 2011 (Mozambique)

• Mozambique Jazz Festival 2008 (Mozambique)

• Global CPH (Denmark)

• Afrikan History Week Festival 2010/2011 (Norway).