The award-winning South African jazz pianist and composer reimagines music from across cultures and generations
Johannesburg: Acclaimed South African pianist, composer and bandleader Bokani Dyer releases Traditions, a deeply personal exploration of musical lineage, legacy and the connections between cultures. Recorded alongside longtime collaborators Timothy Norton (bass) and Lumanyano Mzi (drums), the album brings together music from different traditions, reimagined through the intimate language of the piano trio.
Raised in a household shaped by music, Dyer’s understanding of tradition is deeply personal. His father, renowned jazz musician Steve Dyer, has built a legacy rooted in humanity and the African philosophy of Ubuntu, values that continue to inform Bokani’s artistic approach. With Traditions, he reflects on the music he has inherited, the sounds that have shaped his ear and the possibilities that emerge when these influences are carried into new musical contexts.
For the first time in his catalogue, the majority of the album’s repertoire consists of covers. Rather than treating musical traditions as fixed, Dyer approaches each composition with curiosity, honouring its origins while creating space for new interpretations.
“I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel. I’m interested in new, novel ways of approaching the songs, leaning on the established traditions that have come before and seeing how I can present them in an interesting way,” says Dyer.
This approach is particularly evident on the album’s focus track, “African Piano: Inxembula”. A traditional Xhosa folk song famously recorded by legendary uhadi player Nofinishi Dywili and the Ngqoko Women’s Ensemble, “Inxembula”, meaning “the ugly one”, was also repurposed as a struggle song during apartheid. Dyer’s rendition brings the composition into a new setting through piano, bass, flute and drums, connecting generations of musical memory while allowing the tradition to continue evolving.
The album was introduced by its lead single, “Thembisa”, featuring rising vocalist Phoebe Mgxaji. A reinterpretation of a composition from Andile Yenana’s groundbreaking album We Used To Dance, the track bridges generations of South African jazz, retaining the spirit of the original while introducing a fresh musical perspective through Dyer’s trio and Mgxaji’s vocals.
“It was important for me to not only honour the work of those who came before us, but also to shed light on younger musicians who are contributing to where this music goes next,” Dyer explains.
Throughout Traditions, this spirit of collaboration extends to the musicians themselves, whose individual histories, instincts and musical perspectives shape each reinterpretation. The result is a meeting place for different sounds and cultural influences, where established traditions are celebrated, questioned and given room to evolve.
The album arrives amid a significant period in Dyer’s career. His work on the 2025 film Sabbatical earned him a South African Film and Television Award (SAFTA) for Best Achievement in Song, while Seven, an album he produced, won Best Adult Contemporary Album at the 2025 South African Music Awards.
His international presence has continued to grow, with a June US trio tour featuring performances at renowned jazz venues including Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Chris’ Jazz Café, Keystone Korner and Smalls Jazz Club. Closer to home, Dyer performed alongside British flautist Gareth Lockrane at the inaugural Montreux Jazz Festival in South Africa, launching Home at Last, his tribute to legendary South African pianist Bheki Mseleku. The project subsequently toured Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, bringing previously unreleased material from Mseleku’s catalogue to audiences across the country.
Dyer’s international touring schedule also includes performances at the DC Jazz Festival, The Bird’s Eye Jazz Club and the Melbourne Jazz Festival, introducing Traditions to audiences across the world.
At its heart, Traditions is both a reflection on the past and an invitation to imagine what comes next. Through the music of his forebears, the contributions of a new generation and his own evolving artistic identity, Dyer explores what happens when music travels across cultures, histories and the boundaries we imagine separate us.
Bokani Dyer’s Traditions is available from 1 October 2026 across all major streaming platforms.
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