IVAN MAZUZE
Award-winning saxophonist, composer, and world jazz innovator Ivan Mazuze has built a career on bridging cultures through music. Originally from Mozambique and now based in Norway, Mazuze is celebrated for his powerful fusion of African traditions with contemporary jazz, creating music that resonates with both cultural depth and global vision.
With Penuka (2024), Mazuze embarks on his most ambitious project to date. The album explores the centuries-old cultural exchanges between Africa, the Arab world, and India—reimagined through jazz improvisation and modern soundscapes. Featuring collaborators from across continents, Penuka weaves together African rhythms, Gnawa grooves, Indian ragas, Urdu poetry, Wolof chants, and more, creating a vibrant tapestry of sound that feels both deeply rooted and strikingly new.
“This album is a celebration of the enduring cultural connections between Africa, the Arab world, and India. Through Penuka I aim to offer a fresh perspective on how these influences have shaped African music, blending traditional rhythms with modern jazz improvisation,” says Mazuze.
​​Having graced major festivals worldwide and collaborated with legends like Omar Sosa and Hermeto Pascoal, Mazuze now presents Penuka as a testament to music’s power to connect histories, geographies, and people. Commissioned by Global Oslo Music, this project stands as both a bold artistic statement and an invitation to experience the beauty of cultural exchange. Penuka is not just an album—it’s a journey across continents, a dialogue of traditions, and a celebration of our shared humanity through sound.
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Ivan Mazuze is represented by Musiclife Productions in Sweden.
Official website: www.imazuzemusic.com​
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