Kesivan Naidoo and The Lights (International)

Joining Kesivan at J2J 2025 is an outstanding international line-up of musicians: Darren English (South Africa) – Trumpet; Charley Rose (France) – Saxophone; Fabio Gouvêa (Brazil) – Guitar; Bokani Dyer (South Africa) – Piano and Joan Codina (Spain) – Bass.

Basel-based Kesivan Naidoo is one of South Africa’s most electrifying jazz drummers, composers, and bandleaders, known for his high-energy performances and deep-rooted connection to the country’s jazz heritage. A graduate of the South African College of Music (SACM) and Berklee College of Music, he has performed on some of the world’s biggest jazz stages, including Carnegie Hall and the North Sea Jazz Festival.

At the beginning of the millennium, Kesivan became the youngest person to win the South African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) Overseas Scholarship Competition.  He chose to study under guru, Professor Sanjay Bandophadyah in India where he completed his research degree in Indian classical music systems.

It was this experience that opened his ears to the feeling of jazz as a global musical vernacular of freedom.

Few musicians bring the experience of this freedom – of living in a world that is limitless – as intimately, dangerously close – as Kesivan.

Watching him play is like marvelling at a cross between Animal, the wild drummer of Muppets fame, hard bop pioneer Elvin Jones and free-jazz drum genius Louis Moholo-Moholo. His approach to drumming is blisteringly ferocious and yet his harmonic manipulation of his kit is sublime subtlety itself.

As a torchbearer of contemporary South African jazz, his band, Kesivan and the Lights, has gained acclaim for seamlessly blending traditional African rhythms with modern jazz elements, creating a sound that is both innovative and deeply expressive.

At J2J 2025, Kesivan and the Lights will debut a specially commissioned piece celebrating South Africa’s 30 years of democracy. This extraordinary work features some of the country’s greatest composers over the past three decades (and earlier), creating a musical dialogue that captures the essence of South Africa’s evolving jazz landscape. This performance will be the first time this project is presented in South Africa, making it a historic moment for jazz lovers.

Each member of the ensemble brings a distinct cultural and musical voice, ensuring a truly global yet authentically South African jazz experience.