Arts writer
PIANO legend Abdullah Ibrahim will be in town for one gig only at The Maynardville Amphitheatre in Wynberg on December 18.
You can count the number of internationally famous South Africans on two hands, and one of the first to achieve this status was consummate pianist and musician Abdullah Ibrahim. Nelson Mandela said about him, “Bach, Beethoven, we’ve got better”, and few would disagree.
This time round Ibrahim will deliver a solo piano performance on the outdoor Maynardville Amphitheatre stage. The pianist, formerly known as Dollar Brand, started his musical journey with formal piano lessons at the age of seven. He and trumpeter Hugh Masekela performed and recorded with South Africa’s first premiere jazz group, The Jazz Epistles.
Whilst in exile in Europe in 1963, Duke Ellington came across him at a jazz cafe in Zurich, and this led to the recording of Duke Ellington presents the Dollar Brand Trio.
In the 1970s, Ibrahim’s works such as Manenberg and Soweto, would be embraced as anthems of protest against apartheid South Africa.
In the 1980s he went on to form the Ekaya septet, which would become one of the few successful acoustic jazz groups of this era. And the 1990s saw collaborations with the likes of big bands and classical string orchestras.
Ibrahim, in his solo capacity and accompanied by Ekaya, has performed in some of the world’s most prestigious venues and festivals.
Some of the ensemble’s most recent highlights include Carnegie Hall (NYC) in 2014, the Royal Albert Hall (London) 2014 and The Montreux Jazz Festival in 2013.
His latest recording, The Song is My Story, released in 2014, also garnered critical acclaim. The Guardian in the UK rated it 4 star, “…. all played with a remarkable liquid touch, and feels like a late-life Ibrahim renaissance”.
Ibrahim has recorded prolifically, and over time, became an influential performer in the modern jazz idiom. He remains in his zenith, as a musician and a tireless initiator of new projects.
Doors to the amphitheatre open at 7pm and the concert starts at 8pm. Food and beverages will be on sale.
l Tickets: R375. Book: www.webtickets.co.za