Abdullah Ibrahim One Night Only

Abdullah Ibrahim performed for one night only on Monday, 4 April 2016, for his only scheduled solo piano concert in Cape Town in 2016. This was the first of many incredible performances by arguably one of South Africa’s most legendary musicians. The one-night solo concert played to a sold-out house and was an extraordinary evening at the Fugard Theatre.

Abdullah Ibrahim (born Adolph Johannes Brand on 9 October 1934 and formerly known as Dollar Brand) is a South African pianist and composer. His music reflects many of the musical influences of his childhood in the multicultural port areas of Cape Town, ranging from traditional African songs to the gospel of the AME Church and Ragas to more modern jazz and other Western styles. Ibrahim is considered the leading figure in the subgenre of Cape jazz. In jazz, his music mainly reflects Thelonious Monk’s influence and Duke Ellington’s influence. He is known primarily for “Mannenberg”, a jazz piece that became a notable anti-apartheid anthem.