Mozambican Jazz guitarist, composer, lecturer and researcher Elcides Carlos will be performing at UKZN Centre for Jazz and Popular Music on Wednesday 28 October. In this third consecutive visit to Durban, Elcides will feature fellow Mozambican musicians Lelas Mavie on bass and Vando Infante on drums, alongside Durban-based keyboardist Shemuel Mahabeer.

The concert celebrates the musical footprints and artistic collaborations that have developed between the guitarist and the Durban’s Jazz community through his previous visits and tours in the city. It highlights the connections between Mozambican and South African musicians, with Jazz serving as a platform for cultural exchange and creative collaboration.

Elicides Carlos. Picture supplied

Elcides’s repertoire will feature original compositions alongside selected classics from African and American Jazz. Drawing on African musical traditions, contemporary African Jazz and the broader language of Jazz, the performance promises an engaging exploration of the musical connections that unite artists across borders.

Rooted in Afro-Jazz, his work reflects the rich musical heritage of Southern Africa while embracing the diverse influences of the wider Jazz tradition. His debut album, “Sense of Presence”, released in 2022, featured collaborations with musicians from Italy, Russia, United States and South Africa. In 2025, he published A Mente de Um Grande Guitarrista (The Mind of a Great Guitarist), a book exploring the mindset, musical development and creative process of the guitarist.

His return marks another chapter in an ongoing artistic relationship between Mozambique and South Africa, celebrating the power of Jazz to foster collaboration, cultural exchange and lasting musical connections. The Centre for Jazz and Popular Music is located at Level 2, Dennis Shepstone Building, Howard College Campus. Tickets are available at the door. They are selling at R130 for general public, R100 for pensioners and R70 for students with a valid card. Doors open at 17h00 and the concert starts at 17h30.