02/06/2026
The Luyanda Madope Trio - 6 June Comeback!
Tickets: R200 Show Only
Order off the menu
Bring your own bottle
BACK ON POPULAR DEMAND! OUR MARCH SHOWS SOLD OUT, AND THE CULTURE VULTURES WANT MORE!
The Luyanda Madope Trio will perform at Die Pienk Kerk on Saturday, 6 June, offering audiences an intimate and deeply expressive jazz experience!!
Led by Luyanda Madope on piano & vocals, the trio features Sipho Malinga on drums and Mzwandile Kunene, double bassist, three musicians known for weaving together improvisation, storytelling and deeply rooted African jazz traditions.
Pianist Luyanda Madope is a respected, award-winning South African musician, composer, and musical director whose work bridges jazz, African contemporary music, and narrative storytelling across stage, screen, and broadcast platforms.
The Trio will present music from Madope’s latest album, An Ode to the Womb, a profoundly personal body of work reflecting on lineage, memory, and inheritance. The music explores what Madope was given and what he was taught: the sounds he absorbed from his mother, and the ways music and culture continue to bind them. Through rich harmony, rhythmic dialogue, and lyrical improvisation, the trio brings these stories to life.
The evening promises a jazz journey of depth, sensitivity, and connection, where tradition and contemporary expression meet in an intimate setting.
Luyanda Madope continues to shape South Africa’s contemporary jazz and performance landscape through his versatility, mentorship, and enduring commitment to cultural storytelling.
Luyanda Madope – Piano: Luyanda is a South African pianist, composer and musical director whose work bridges jazz, African contemporary music and storytelling across stage, screen, and broadcast platforms. A member of the acclaimed band Afro4, he has performed across Europe and Africa and shared stages with international artists including Marcus Miller and Jonathan Butler.
Beyond performance, Madope has served as musical director for leading South African comedians such as Celeste Ntuli, Loyiso Gola and Kagiso Lediga, and continues to support jazz development through initiatives such as The Formation with Luyanda Madope on JazzuaryFM. His forthcoming debut solo album, An Ode to the Womb, marks a deeply personal body of work exploring lineage, memory, and heritage.
Mzwandile Kunene – Bass: Mzwandile Kunene joins the trio on bass. Born in Vryheid in KwaZulu-Natal, Kunene began his musical journey on his grandfather’s piano before moving into bass, which became his primary instrument. He studied at the FUBA School of Music and later at the University of Venda, building a career as a freelance musician across jazz, gospel, African music and rock, with jazz remaining his central focus.
He has performed with artists including Simphiwe Dana, McCoy Mrubata and Suthukazi Arosi, as well as gospel artists such as Deborah Fraser, Sfiso Ncwane and the late Vuyo Mokoena. Kunene has performed internationally, including at the Red Sea Jazz Festival, and held residencies in Doha and Muscat. He is currently a resident band member at the Saxon Hotel in Sandton and also works as a sound engineer.
Sipho SJ Malinga – Drums
Sipho SJ Malinga is a multi-disciplinary artist, educator, and creative leader known for blending ancestral African rhythms with contemporary jazz. Born in Mhluzi, Mpumalanga, he began on keyboards at age eight before moving to drums at twelve. His career was shaped at the FUBA School of Music under Prof. Geoff Mapaya, leading to his discovery by Selaelo Selota. Known for his signature “soft touch,” Malinga brings a dynamic yet sensitive approach to performance. He has collaborated with leading artists including Nduduzo Makhathini, Herbie Tsoaeli, and Mduduzi Mtshali, and shared stages with international icons such as Richard Bona, Kirk Whalum, and Kenny G. His accolades include a Licentiate Diploma in Drum Performance and becoming the first Black South African endorsee of DW Drums through Marshall Music. He is also the founder of SJ CreaTVs and an active contributor to arts development initiativ
