Abu Dhabi, Mandela and all that jazz
South African jazz maestro Abdullah Ibrahim is all set to make his UAE debut in the African Landscapes concert at Abu Dhabi's Emirates Palace next week.
Ibrahim is part of the golden generation of South African jazz musicians who lit up the music scene in their home country in the 1950s before bursting onto the international stage.
At the concert, septuagenarian Ibrahim will be accompanied by his six-piece ensemble, Ekaya – which means home – and the pianist and composer will perform a broad spectrum of his works. The two-hour concert is the first jazz evening of the Abu Dhabi Classics series and will include pieces from his repertoire of more than 700 compositions, as well as some new ones inspired by his personal experiences during his life.
When Ibrahim talks about what inspires him, it's apparent his early influences came from his family and home life. "My grandmother and mother were founding members of the local church – where they played the piano," he said. "All jazz musicians come out of the church."
Central to Ibrahim's music is spiritual harmony. In search of his own spiritual harmony and impressed by the teachings of Islam, Ibrahim converted in 1968 and made the pilgrimage to Mecca two years later. "Islam is the natural rhythm of life. It provides a code of conduct as well as serenity," he says. "I know of many other musicians who have also converted to Islam in their search for spiritual unity."
Many of Ibrahim's original works are inspired by nature. Talking about two compositions that he will perform in Abu Dhabi, he said: "The Mountain represents our continuous efforts for perfection – we all have our own "mountain" within us."
About the other piece – Water from an Ancient Well – Ibrahim explained: "We return to the source of our elders – to the water of wisdom. We dig wells and replenish ourselves from the water."
The self-taught Ibrahim will be playing some musical dedications at his concert, including one to Nelson Mandela, who has deeply influenced his life. In 1962 when Mandela was imprisoned and the African National Congress banned, Ibrahim left his homeland. He returned only when Mandela was freed from prison in 1990, and invited him home, alongside top artists such as 'Mama Afrika' Miriam Makeba, who died earlier this week. He went onto perform at Mandela's inauguration in 1994, which he considers one of the highlights of his career.
After spending so long in exile, the emotions of homecoming and re-adjusting to life in South Africa are reflected in two of Ibrahim's works – Mantra Modes (1991) and Knysna Blue (1993) – which he will perform in Abu Dhabi. He also remembers another incident regarding Mandela. At one of his concerts in South Africa, the audience began to applaud wildly midway through a piece. Even as he was enjoying the applause, Ibrahim was told: "Nelson Mandela has just walked in!"
Another highlight was playing for legendary jazz musician Duke Ellington with the Dollar Brand Trio – before converting, he went by the stage name of Dollar Brand – at a club in Zürich. In what was one of the biggest turning points in Ibrahim's career, an impressed Ellington arranged for a recording session in Paris: Duke Ellington presents the Dollar Brand Trio.
There followed numerous invitations to perform across Europe. Later Ellington brought Ibrahim to the US and it was here that his distinctive style began to emerge, combining the sounds of South Africa and its vocal and harmonic traditions with the rhythm and improvisations of jazz. In New York, Ibrahim fraternised with the cream of American jazz musicians, with his early heroes Ellington and Thelonious Monk becoming his friends.
The variety of Ibrahim's music and musical activities is all but inexhaustible. While he's billed as a jazz pianist, it would be a mistake to pigeonhole him as only a 'jazz musician'. His compositions combine jazz with classical as well as world music. "With the advent of the internet, musical borders are breaking down and classical, jazz and global music are all blending," Ibrahim says.
As part of the Abu Dhabi Classics initiative, Ibrahim will visit schools to raise awareness of the power of jazz education and help children develop the enthusiasm and skills required for jazz.
"Music is a continuous search. Jazz is endless – there are always new listeners," says Ibrahim.
African Landscapes. Friday, November 21, 8pm, at Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi. Tickets start from Dh250 and can be purchased at Virgin Megastores
The soprano
The classical mood continues well into next weekend with a performance at Emirates Palace by Cecilia Bartoli, one of the world's most celebrated singers.
As today's best-selling classical artist – she has sold six million CDs and won four Grammys – Bartoli has inspired the re-evaluation and re-discovery of neglected composers. She is best known for her interpretation of the music of Mozart and Rossini.
On Saturday, the Italian coloratura mezzo-soprano presents a programme entitled Romantic Revolution, bringing to life the glorious age of Rossini, Bellini and their contemporaries – through the 'bel canto' music composed specially for Maria Malibran, the Romantic muse and most celebrated opera singer of the 19th century.
Tickets begin at Dh250 and can be purchased at Virgin Megastores.