David “Qadasi” Jenkins and Maqhinga Radebe are a South African Music Award (Sama)-winning duo on a mission to revive and celebrate the powerful sounds of traditional Maskandi music.

Qadasi – which means ‘white person’ – is a Zulu folk music guitarist, concertina (squashbox) player and vocalist whose curiosity for Zulu music was sparked while travelling through Zululand with his late father, Chris.

“I fell in love with Zulu culture when I was young. It’s where my passion for music began,” said David (33).

In 2010, David released his debut studio album, headed by Sibongiseni Shabalala of the five-time Grammy Award-winning group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. His second album, released in 2014, earned nominations for both a Sama and a South African Traditional Music Award.

In 2015, he was honoured with a KZN Young Achievers Award for promoting social cohesion through Maskandi music.

Qadasi is believed to be the only white person in the country who can assemble a squashbox from its 10 000 individual parts, which he sells online locally and abroad.

Maqhinga (61) launched his career in the mid-1990s when he toured the United States with Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The two musicians first met in Durban in 2010 when David approached Maqhinga for assistance with his squashbox.

ALSO READ: Kingsley Holgate and Wayne Cody take on historic battlefield expedition in vintage cars | North Coast Courier

“I needed my concertina tuned to Zulu and Maqhinga helped me,” said David.

“We jammed together afterwards and clicked. The squashbox is very important to us, it’s how we met and started working together.”

Maqhinga became the musical director and producer for Qadasi’s early projects, and the pair soon realised the creative power of combining their skills and cultural perspectives. They have toured extensively across South Africa and internationally and regularly perform in Ballito.

ALSO READ: Vintage Fords retrace Anglo-Zulu War route in Zululand | North Coast Courier

Their debut collaborative album, Lashis’ Ilanga (2016) was nominated for a 2017 Sama for Best Traditional Album.

In December 2019, they released Ungabanaki, their second joint project featuring their full band. The album won a 2020 Sama for Best Traditional Album and earned a nomination for Best Duo of the Year.

A mini documentary about the duo, created by Ballito-based filmmaker SJ van Breda and titled Squashbox, has been selected as a finalist in the SF3 SmartFone Flick Fest and will premiere in Australia on January 23.

“It’s a huge honour for our documentary to be selected and shown at the Sydney Opera House,” said David.

For more information about Qadasi and Maqhinga, see davidjenkins.co.za.

Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news.

Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here or if you’re on desktop, scan the QR code below.