South African jazz great Abdullah Ibrahim dies in Germany at 91
Why it matters: Ibrahim’s career spanned more than seven decades, and his music became tied to South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle.
Abdullah Ibrahim, the South African pianist and composer whose work helped define the country’s jazz sound, has died in Germany at 91 after a short illness, his family said. Born Adolph Johannes Brand in Cape Town in 1934, Ibrahim built a career that stretched across more than seven decades and won a global following for blending jazz with South African musical traditions. His 1974 composition “Mannenberg” became closely associated with resistance to apartheid. Ibrahim, who was formerly known as Dollar Brand, performed at Nelson Mandela’s 1994 presidential inauguration and made his final South African concert appearance at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival in March. His family said he will be buried in Bavaria, where he lived.