VOCALIST, Nina Mkhize, will be performing with her band at the 50 years Remembrance Concert of Chief Albert Luthuli in Groutville on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast at 11 am on Saturday, July 22.

Held in association with Concerts SA and the Luthuli Museum, the concert will take place at the Groutville Market grounds.

Mkhize is a jazz trained vocalist and composer and two-time winner of the Old Mutual Jazz Encounters Awards.

With a repertoire that includes original jazz and African music compositions, she has performed for the Shuttle Band, a commission by the Nordic Council of Ministers which saw a collaboration between an ensemble of South African and Scandinavian musicians including Ray Phiri, the late Gito Baloi, Concord Nkabinde, and Norwegians, Stien Casternsen, Bendik Hofseth, Ricard Nettermalm.

She has also lead the Standard Bank Youth Jazz Band under the direction of saxophonist Barney Rachabane at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown

Her film work with Dr Sazi Dlamini has seen her perform on the soundtracks for the documentary Bhambayi and movies Sky in Her Eyes and Izulu Lami.

The singer has also appeared at the North Sea Jazz Festival, SA 10^th Democracy Celebrations in Brazil, the Indoni Cultural, Joy of Jazz and Unyazi Electrical Music Festivals, and on albums by Busi Mhlongo (Indiza), Ian Henderson (Free Falling) and Nibs Van Der Spuy (Flower in the Rain).

The Groutville gig is part of the 50 years Remembrance Celebrations of the Luthuli Museum. It will include a performance by local poet Let Da Poet, whose real name is Lethu Nkwanyana. A versatile Christian poet, he uses both English and isiZulu, to spread his message.

Admission to the concert is free.