Abdullah Ibrahim facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Abdullah Ibrahim
Ibrahim performing at the 2011 Moers Festival
Background information
Birth name	Adolph Johannes Brand
Also known as	Dollar Brand
Born	(1934-10-09) 9 October 1934 (age 90) Cape Town, South Africa
Genres	South African jazz, bebop, post-bop, folk
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer, bandleader
Instruments	Piano, saxophone, cello
Years active	1955–present
Associated acts	Sathima Bea Benjamin, Jean Grae

Abdullah Ibrahim (born Adolph Johannes Brand on 9 October 1934), also known as Dollar Brand, is a famous South African pianist and composer. His music mixes many styles from his childhood in Cape Town. These include traditional African songs, gospel music from church, and modern jazz.

Ibrahim is seen as a top artist in a style called Cape jazz. His jazz music shows the influence of great musicians like Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington. He is especially famous for his song "Mannenberg". This jazz piece became a well-known song for fighting against apartheid.

During the apartheid era in the 1960s, Ibrahim moved to New York City. He stayed away from South Africa until the early 1990s. He traveled the world, playing music by himself or with other famous musicians. These included Max Roach and Carlos Ward. He also worked with classical orchestras in Europe.

Abdullah Ibrahim is married to jazz singer Sathima Bea Benjamin. They have two children, including the rapper Jean Grae.

Early Life and Music

Abdullah Ibrahim was born in Cape Town, South Africa, on 9 October 1934. His birth name was Adolph Johannes Brand. He went to Trafalgar High School in Cape Town. He started piano lessons when he was seven years old. He began playing music professionally at age 15.

His mother played piano in a church, and her music style influenced him a lot. He learned many types of music in Cape Town. These included marabi, mbaqanga, and American jazz. He became well known in jazz music groups in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

In 1959 and 1960, Ibrahim played with a group called the Jazz Epistles. They played in Sophiatown. Other members included Kippie Moeketsi and Hugh Masekela. In January 1960, the group recorded Jazz Epistle Verse One. This was the first full jazz album by Black South African musicians.

The government during apartheid did not like jazz groups. After the Sharpeville massacre in March 1960, the government cracked down on them. The Jazz Epistles eventually broke up.

Starting an International Career

Ibrahim moved to Europe in 1962. In 1963, his future wife, Sathima Bea Benjamin, helped him meet Duke Ellington. Ellington was a very famous jazz musician. He heard Ibrahim play in Switzerland.

Ellington then helped Ibrahim record his first album, Duke Ellington presents The Dollar Brand Trio. Ibrahim's trio played at many European music festivals. They also played on radio and television.

Ibrahim and Benjamin moved to New York in 1965. He played at the Newport Jazz Festival. In 1966, he even led the Duke Ellington Orchestra for some shows. In 1967, he got a special grant to study at the Juilliard School of Music in New York.

While in the US, he met many important musicians. These included John Coltrane and Archie Shepp. During this time, the Black Power movement grew. This movement made Ibrahim start adding more African sounds to his jazz music.

Returning to South Africa and "Mannenberg"

In 1968, Ibrahim went back to Cape Town for a short time. He converted to Islam that year and changed his name from Dollar Brand to Abdullah Ibrahim. In 1970, he went on a religious trip to Mecca.

In the early 1970s, he met Rashid Vally, who owned a record shop. Vally helped Ibrahim produce two albums. In 1974, they made a third album called Underground in Africa. This album mixed jazz, rock music, and popular South African music. It sold very well.

While making Underground, Ibrahim worked with a local band called Oswietie. This band included Robbie Jansen and Basil Coetzee. After the album's success, Ibrahim asked Coetzee to form a new band for his next recording.

The famous song "Mannenberg" was recorded in June 1974. It was made in a studio in Cape Town. The song was recorded in one take, with the musicians playing together freely. It was inspired by the Cape Flats township. Many people who were forced to leave District Six during apartheid were sent there.

Songs like "Mannenberg" became very important. They showed the spirit of defiance in South Africa's townships. "Mannenberg" became known as the "unofficial national anthem" of South Africa. It was a theme song for the anti-apartheid movement.

A few years after "Mannenberg" was released, police shot at protesting children. This happened during the Soweto Uprising in June 1976. After this, Ibrahim and Benjamin openly supported the African National Congress. This group was banned at the time.

Soon after, Ibrahim and Sathima moved back to New York. In 1981, they started their own record company called Ekapa, which means "Cape Town".

Music for Films and TV

Abdullah Ibrahim has written music for several films. These include Chocolat (1988) and No Fear, No Die (1990).

He also appeared in the 2002 film Amandla!: A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony. In this movie, he and others talked about the apartheid days.

Ibrahim is also the main topic of two documentaries. These are A Brother with Perfect Timing (1987) and A Struggle for Love (2005).

After Apartheid

After apartheid ended, Ibrahim returned to South Africa in the early 1990s. He often performs by himself, playing long concerts. He also plays with smaller groups and larger orchestras.

In 1994, he performed with a symphony orchestra to honor Nelson Mandela's inauguration as president. Mandela reportedly called him "our Mozart".

In 1997, Ibrahim toured with drummer Max Roach. The next year, he toured the world with the Munich Radio Philharmonic Orchestra.

In 1999, he started the "M7" academy in Cape Town. This school helps young South African musicians. He also started the Cape Town Jazz Orchestra in 2006.

Ibrahim still performs around the world, mostly in Europe and North America. Critics call him an "elder statesman" of African jazz. They compare him to Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk.

In 2016, Ibrahim and Hugh Masekela played together for the first time in 60 years. They reunited The Jazz Epistles. This was to remember the 40th anniversary of the 1976 Soweto uprising.

Awards and Honors

Abdullah Ibrahim has received many awards for his music.

• In 2007, he got the South African Music Lifetime Achievement Award.
• In 2009, his solo piano album Senzo won "Best Male Artist" at the South African Music Awards.
• Also in 2009, he received an honorary music degree from the University of the Witwatersrand.
• He was also given South Africa's national honor, the Order of Ikhamanga (Silver). This was for his great work in music and his fight against racism.
• In 2017, he received the German Jazz Trophy.
• In 2018, he was named one of the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowships by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in the US. This award honors people who have made big contributions to jazz music.

Discography

Abdullah Ibrahim has released many albums as a leader or co-leader. Here are some of them:

He has also been a sideman (playing with other artists) on some albums:

Images for kids

• 

  Ibrahim performing at the 2011 Moers Festival

See also

In Spanish: Dollar Brand para niños