BIOGRAPHY OF MAGESHEN NAIDOO

South African born guitarist Mageshen Naidoo started playing guitar at a very young age. Mageshen's earliest music education was rooted in
gospel, blues, funk and fusion music. In 1997, Mageshen obtained a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Natal and a Master of Music degree (cum laude) in 2001. He also holds a Master of Music degree (studio guitar performance) (2004) from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

In 1996 as a member of South African jazz group Mosaic, Mageshen performed at the 23rd Annual International Association of Jazz educators (IAJE) Conference in Atlanta, Georgia USA. In 1997, Mageshen was invited by British composer Graham Collier OBE, to perform and give workshops at the Royal Academy of Music, London.
In 1999 as part of an exchange programme, Mageshen studied at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. He also performed at the World Expo 2000 in Hanover, Germany.
In June 2001 Mageshen toured Scotland with South African band Sekunjalo doing performances and workshops at the Largs International Jazz Festival, the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and the Glasgow Royal Concert hall.
His many performance highlights include; performing at the private birthday party of former President Nelson Mandela and performances at both the Commonwealth Heads of State and African Heads of State confererences.

His many performance credits include Angelique Kidjo, Darius Brubeck, Mike Rossi (USA), Michael Bolton, Yuri Honing (Holland), Ronald Snijders (Suriname)
Karin Bengjmark (Sweden), Feya Faku (South Africa) and Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
Mageshen made his debut recording on Canadian pianist/composer Carol Ann Weaver's Dancing Rivers.
He also recorded his original compositions with South African band, Tonk

Mageshen lectured in music at the University of Natal and was Music Theory Co-ordinator and Guitar teacher for UKUSA, a community arts programme run by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA). He is a former board member of the South African Association of Jazz Educators (SAJE) and is a member of the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE).

Mageshen has won numerous awards including the jazz category (regional) and composer's category (national) in the South African Old Mutual Jazz Encounters competition. He also won the South African Musician's Rights Organisation (SAMRO) overseas scholarship. He received citations for outstanding musicianship from the International Association for Jazz Education in 1996 (Atlanta) and 2005 (Long Beach).

In 2001 Mageshen won the prestigious US Fulbright Scholarship for postgraduate studies. He enrolled for a Doctor of Music degree (Studio/Jazz Guitar) at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles,California. He majored in Performance with minors in Jazz Studies (Composition and Arranging, Graduate Improvisation and Directed Research); Music Industry (Digital and Audio Recording Applications, Recording techniques for Film music, and Music Business and Law); and Music Education (Technology in Music Education, Philosophy and Psychology of Music Education, Special Topics in Jazz Education). The core curriculum for the Doctoral program also included classes in Instrumental and Choral conducting, Tonal and Atonal analysis, Music History, Research Methodology and Ensemble. Recently, Mageshen was the recipient of USC's faculty award for distinguished scholarship and leadership.

At USC, Mageshen studied with some of the world's greatest musicians and teachers including lessons and masterclasses with Pat Metheny, John Scofield, Kurt Rosenwinkel and Mike Stern. Mageshen did studio work in Los Angeles including performances on the score of two independent movies recorded at the Steven Spielberg Motion Picture Scoring Studios.

Mageshen has returned to South Africa to take up a post as Senior Lecturer in Music at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and Director for the Centre for Jazz and Popular Music at UKZN.