“The bewitching and virtuosic vocalizing of Ndosi spans genres, ethnicities, species, continents, and likely galaxies, too.” - Greg Tate
Of Tanzanian and African American heritage, Mankwe Ndosi is celebrated for a sound and practice that spans genres and disciplines: celebrating influences from Jazz and African legacies, Hip Hop and Soul, performance art, theater, public art and improvisation. She has toured and recorded with independent hip-hop powerhouse duo Atmosphere and Brother Ali. Her solo releases include Do Gooder’s Blues (2009) and the critically acclaimed Science and Spirit (2012). She describes her style on Science and Spirit as “live, creative improvisational work with hip hop.” A long-time creative associate of Chicago-based AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) Mankwe has spent years exploring improvisational and creative music making at the forefront and intersections of modern creative and avant-garde Jazz. She tours and performs nationally and internationally with noted 2014 appearances with Nicole Mitchell and Ballake Sissoko in France and Switzerland, performances in the world-premier of River See, Sharon Bridgforth’s theatrical jazz masterwork in Chicago and Boston, performances with mentor and AACM stalwart Douglas Ewart. Her vocal work as a member of Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth Ensemble is featured on the 2014 release Intergalactic Beings. Jazz Times reviewed the album, citing it as a “bold contribution to the art of Afrofuturism connects the all-embracing avant-gardism of the AACM, the cosmic chaos of the Sun Ra Arkestra.”
