Risenga Makondo presents Cultural Jazz, a vibrant and deeply rooted expression of music and movement inspired by the traditions of Southern Africa. At its core is the inseparable relationship between dance and music—where rhythm is not only heard, but embodied. In Venda, Tsonga, and Pedi cultures, performance is fluid and inclusive: musicians become dancers, and dancers become musicians, creating a shared, living experience.

Born in the rural north of South Africa near Venda, Risenga grew up as a shepherd with little access to formal education. He began playing music for survival at the age of fourteen. Coming of age during Apartheid, he witnessed the harsh realities faced by young Black men in his community, particularly during the South African Border War. Determined to forge a different path, he moved to Johannesburg and settled in Soweto, where reggae music became both his voice and his education.

Returning to traditional African music, Risenga…