music
From the pain of apartheid to luscious beauty: 10 of the best recordings by jazz legend Abdullah Ibrahim
The pianist and bandleader, who has died aged 91, had an inimitable style where bright, guileless melody met a fearless improvisational impulse
TL;DR
- Born Adolph Johannes Brand in Cape Town in 1934, Abdullah Ibrahim was a defining figure in South African jazz.
- He co-founded the Jazz Epistles in 1959, South Africa's first Black jazz group, featuring Hugh Masekela.
- Ibrahim fled apartheid-era South Africa for Europe, where Duke Ellington helped arrange his recording debut.
- His composition 'Mannenberg' became an unofficial civil rights anthem and a favorite of Nelson Mandela.
- Throughout his career, Ibrahim experimented with various ensembles, from avant-garde collaborations with Don Cherry to solo piano performances.
- His enduring band Ekaya, formed in 1983, featured an expanded horn section allowing for big-band-influenced compositions.
- Ibrahim also contributed to film scoring and achieved a late-career surge of new music in his eighties.
- His recordings showcase a blend of heartfelt melodies, gospel influences, bluesy improvisation, and a distinctive groove.