Ingoma Busuku: Song of the Night

0000: Swiss-South African band Ingoma Busuku weave Zulu tradition, jazz and spiritual improvisation into a concert recorded at Zurich's Moods.

Ingoma Busuku, "song of the night" in isiZulu, was born from an unlikely connection. Swiss musician Jonas Ruther made contact with South African saxophonist Linda Sikhakhane, brought together through the introduction of pianist Nduduzo Makhathini, one of the leading voices in contemporary South African jazz and the first South African artist to sign to Blue Note Records. A tour of Switzerland planned for 2020 was derailed by the pandemic and postponed twice before finally taking place in 2022. On the subsequent South African tour, singer Paras Dlamini joined the group, marking his first appearance in Europe.

Sikhakhane himself is a formidable presence: born in Umlazi, near Durban, he trained at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, relocated to New York to study at The New School, and has since recorded with Makhathini on two Blue Note albums. He was named Standard Bank Young Jazz Artist of the Year in 2022.

The band's music is rooted in the Zulu singing tradition, lyrics that speak of love, spirituality and connection to the ancestors, but it moves outward into groove, spiritual melody and open improvisation. Their debut album Isambulo, recorded during the South African tour and produced by Makhathini, was released in 2022. This 2025 performance at Moods in Zurich captures the band on European soil, bringing a South African night song to the heart of Switzerland.

Genre Live Show
Recording location Moods, Switzerland
Musical style Jazz, Gospel
Duration 1:47:00
Production year 2025