If you could travel anywhere right now, where would you go? Japan. I really love the music scene there and how cultivated the audiences are for jazz music.
Spiritual awareness is a big part of the music Nduduzo Makhathini creates. The South African pianist, composer, healer, educator, and philosopher said in a recent phone call that spiritual awareness and healing have always been necessary, but “now there’s an urgency … spirituality as a way of resolving the problems in the world.” The 42-year-old Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, native, will bring his music — and his message of spiritual transcendence — to City Winery Boston on Oct. 22, as part of a global tour. Makhathini said he is looking forward to performing in Boston, where, he said, “there’s always a great vibe” from audiences. The Zulu healer said concertgoers can expect to hear a range of songs from previous albums, as well as from his newest release, “uNomkhubulwane,” an 11-track suite that pays homage to the Zulu goddess of the same name. We caught up with Makhathini, who lives in Durban, South Africa, with his wife, Omagugu, an artist, singer, and choir conductor, and their three children (22, 16, and 14), to talk about all things travel.
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Do you prefer booking trips through a travel agent or on your own? I always go through a booking agent for my touring schedule, but at a personal level, my wife does bookings for our family.
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Thoughts on an “unplugged” vacation? Unplugged vacation is the best method — especially for artists. We tend to be constantly glued on our phones and it is beautiful to be intentional about detaching from such worlds and to kind of cultivate inner worlds.
What has been your worst vacation experience? Some years ago we went on vacation with family and we had booked this accommodation that looked really good online and had great reviews, but when we arrived it was a different story. Nothing really worked — and we could not find any alternative accommodation, as this was in a very small town during a festive period. We had to leave and return home that very same evening. Our kids were sad throughout the trip.
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What is your favorite childhood travel memory? Listening to my mom and dad make music from the kitchen at our home and every now and again they would steal a kiss. This would have to be the best childhood memory. The image has stayed in my consciousness as there were really few moments I could spend time with my father.
Do you vacation to relax, to learn, or for the adventure of it all? I guess it is a mix of many things: relax, time out, adventure, and of course to learn about places.
What book do you plan on bringing with you to read on your next vacation? I’m constantly reading something, I do not know what I would have for my next vacation but I just started reading “The Africans: A Triple Heritage” by Ali Mazrui.
If you could travel with one famous person/celebrity, who would it be? Charles Lloyd. There is so much I would love to learn from him.
What is the best gift to give a traveler? Maps. Really essential, though. I have learned that the hard way.
What is your go-to snack for a flight or a road trip? Cookies and chocolate.
What is the coolest souvenir you’ve picked up on a vacation? Normally I would pick up a book, but I also love headgear, and I’m always collecting more.
What is your favorite app/website for travel? I’m not an expert here. I’m lucky to have people who assist with everything.
What has travel taught you? Patience and openness.
What is your best travel tip? Dive into the experiences as hard as you can.
Juliet Pennington can be reached at writeonjuliet@comcast.net.