Dudu Pukwana

Biography

South African saxophonist and composer Dudu Pukwana was a pivotal force in the expatriate community that reshaped the British jazz landscape from the mid-1960s. A founding member of The Blue Notes, he fused the mbaqanga and kwela rhythms of his homeland with the expressive liberties of free jazz. [1, 2, 9] After relocating to London, Pukwana co-founded the influential Brotherhood of Breath and led his own groups, Assagai and Spear, which further explored this potent synthesis. [3, 4] His alto saxophone style, marked by a searing, vocalic cry and rhythmic intensity, defined a unique Afro-jazz current and shaped a vital bridge between South African traditions and the international free music movement. [8, 9]