South African jazz pianist Abdullah Ibrahim dies aged 91

Abdullah Ibrahim, the renowned South African jazz pianist and composer, has died at the age of 91. His death was confirmed in a statement released Monday by his family, with his partner, Dr Marina Umari, stating that he passed away peacefully in Germany after a short illness. Born in Cape Town as Dollar Brand, Ibrahim began composing music at age seven and made his professional debut at 15, rising to prominence in the 1950s within South Africa's jazz scene. In 1960, he recorded Jazz Epistle Verse One with the Jazz Epistles, the first full-length jazz LP by Black South African musicians. Though not overtly political, the group faced government scrutiny, prompting Ibrahim to move to Europe in the 1960s. There, he met and recorded with Duke Ellington, whom he described in 2024 as "a wise old man in the village" for musicians. He relocated to New York in 1965, performed at the Newport Jazz Festival, and occasionally filled in for Ellington. Ibrahim converted to Islam in 1968, adopting the name Abdullah Ibrahim. Over his career, he released more than 70 albums, including his 2023 release, the most recent. His 1974 composition Mannenberg became an iconic anti-apartheid anthem, said to have inspired Nelson Mandela during his imprisonment. Ibrahim reflected in 2017 that apartheid sought to suppress not just music but thought itself. He contributed to film soundtracks, including for Claire Denis's No Fear, No Die and Chocolat, and received honors such as the German Jazz Trophy and a South African lifetime achievement award. His final public performance was at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival in March.

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