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4 unusual facts about Abdullah Ibrahim


Aquarius Festival

Also appearing were the South African pianist Dollar Brand (later known as Abdullah Ibrahim), and tightrope walker and unicyclist Philippe Petit, who gained worldwide fame the following year by walking between the rooftops of the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center.

Cape Flats

Its music spans from the serious-minded jazz of Abdullah Ibrahim and Basil Coetzee and their anthem 'Mannenberg' (named after a Cape Flats township), to the bubbly pop hits of Brenda Fassie; and continues in a new hip-hop movement.

Craig Handy

Born in Oakland, California, Handy attended North Texas State University from 1981 to 1984, and following this played with Art Blakey, Wynton Marsalis, Roy Haynes, Abdullah Ibrahim, Elvin Jones, Joe Henderson, Betty Carter, George Adams, Ray Drummond, Conrad Herwig, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and David Weiss among many others.

Rashid Lombard

Lombard has photographed both local and international musicians, and has paid particular attention to recording South African musicians-in-exile like Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba and Abdullah Ibrahim.


Brian Abrahams

Abrahams has worked with groups and artists such as Abdullah Ibrahim, Dudu Pukwana, Ronnie Scott, John Taylor, Johnny Dyani, Brotherhood of Breath, Jim Pepper, Dewey Redman, Mal Waldron, Archie Shepp, and Courtney Pine.

Jean Grae

Grae was born in Cape Town, South Africa on November 26, 1976, the daughter of South African jazz musicians Sathima Bea Benjamin and Abdullah Ibrahim.

Kippie Moeketsi

Over the years he played with several bands including Shantytown Sextet, the Harlem Swingsters and famously the Jazz Epistles that brought fame to him, Abdullah Ibrahim (or Dollar Brand as he was known then), Jonas Gwangwa, and Hugh Masekela.

Moers Festival

Many famous musicians have appeared there, including Fred Frith, David Murray, Cecil Taylor, Lester Bowie, Herbie Hancock, Abdullah Ibrahim, Archie Shepp, Sun Ra, and Jan Garbarek.

Stewart Sukuma

He performed at the Houston International Festival, and twice in Texas in 1998/9 with other African artists such as Angellique Kidjo, Abdullah Ibrahim, Oumou Sangare and Hugh Masekela.


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