He can get everybody onto the dance floor and his mix of African rhythms and melodious, innovative guitar music has managed to enrapture many a listener. The talented guitarist Jimmy Dludlu, once a boy from the townships who dreamed of playing the guitar, is now one of South Africa's leading jazz musicians. With his bands Brotherhood, Loading Zone and C-Base Collective, he has tried out many styles, from African jazz to funk, reggae, fusion, samba and Latin. Dludlu, who speaks seven languages, has played with Herb Ellis, Courtney Pine and Miriam Makeba, among others. Last year he made many people happy by releasing a new album, Afrocentric, in which he tells the tales of his country to the sounds of fusion. Making the album meant being holed up in the studio for three months in order to convert the sounds inside his head into music. The record features many prominent African musicians, including Feya Faku on trumpet and Hugh Masekela, who compares Jimmy to guitar greats such as Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery and George Benson. The latter because Jimmy shares Benson's sense of sophistication.
