The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) joins the global community in honouring the life of pianist, composer and icon, Abdullah Ibrahim.

Ibrahim passed away on 15 June in Germany where he was resident, after a short illness, surrounded by family. He was 91.

Exceptional from the beginning, Ibrahim started playing piano at the age of seven and made his professional debut at.15. His career spanned more than seven and a half decades. 

In 1959 and 1960 he was part of the highly influential Jazz Epistles, along with Hugh Masekela, Jonas Gwangwa, Kippie Moeketsi, Makhaya Ntshoko and Johnny Gertze. 

It was no accident that his master compositions, “Manneberg” and “Soweto”, became the soundtrack of the anti-apartheid struggle because his chosen genre, Jazz, was the language of improvisation born out of resistance to oppression. From Billy Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” to Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington’s integration of bands and tours to break down racial barriers in the entertainment industry, Ibrahim understood the power of his medium. 

South Africans are often accused of not appropriately appreciating their artists. Not so with Dollar Brand, people always knew they were in the presence of greatness. In 2009 he was awarded the Order of Ikhamanga in Silver for his exceptional contribution to the arts and fight against apartheid. 

In interviews later in life, he referred to himself in the plural as “We”, a privilege well-earned given the extraordinary life he lived.

His last performance was in the city of his birth, at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival in March, where he received a 10-minute standing ovation. His legacy will live on not only in the music he masterfully created, but also in a life well lived.

Issued by COSATU

Zanele Sabela (COSATU Spokesperson)

Mobile: 079 287 5788 / 077 600 6639

Email: zaneles@cosatu.org.za