Palaver Strings

Grammy-nominated Palaver Strings is one of New England’s most innovative chamber ensembles, celebrated for its dynamic performances, collaborative programming, and commitment to social justice and underrepresented voices. Founded in 2014, the ensemble’s Co-Artistic Directors rotate leadership and curate diverse annual seasons, collaborating with world-renowned artists and commissioning new works, including their Grammy-nominated 2024 release A Change is Gonna Come, praised for its “fresh, galvanizing sound.”

At the Lensic, they present Incwadi. Featuring acclaimed jazz vocalist Vuyo Sotashe and Grammy-nominated pianist Chris Pattishall, Incwadi celebrates the rich musical heritage of Sotashe’s home country, South Africa. The program includes traditional folk songs in Zulu, Sepedi, and Xhosa, choral works by Michael Moreane and Bheki Mseleku, and originals by Sotashe, all presented in fresh arrangements for voice, piano, and strings by Chris Patishall. Incwadi explores connections between American jazz, South African traditional music, and European classical music, moving fluidly between traditions in a spirit of exploration and joy.

Chris Pattishall is a pianist and composer known for his stylistic breadth, sense of detail, and surrealist inclinations. His debut album, Zodiac, was called “a startling achievement” by The New York Times. He is a featured performer on a number of film scores, including Everything Everywhere All At Once and Knives Out, and he co-composed the score to Going To Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.

Vuyo (Vuyolwethu) Sotashe is an award-winning New York-based jazz vocalist and composer, originally from the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Since moving to the United States as a Fulbright Scholar, Sotashe has performed with jazz legends including Wynton Marsalis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jimmy Heath, Al Jarreau, and Winard Harper. He has appeared at Montreux Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, and Newport Jazz Fest, and was the first male vocalist to place in the finals of the Thelonious Monk Institute competition.