Abdullah Ibrahim

Abdullah Ibrahim (Oct. 9, 1934 – June 15, 2026) was a South African jazz pianist and bandleader with a musical career that has spanned six decades. He first emerged in 1959 as part of the Jazz Epistles, which also featured trumpeter Hugh Masekela.

In 1965, Ibrahim assembled the Dollar Brand Trio — the first of his many combos to bear some form of the nameplate — for the concert album Anatomy of a South African Village. Three years later, his band collaborated with Argentinian saxist Gato Barbieri on the album Confluence.

Between 1973 and 1981, more than twenty Dollar Brand albums were issued, mostly on the enja and JAPO labels and some in collaboration with featured performers like Archie Shepp, Max Roach, and Johnny Dyani. Starting with the 1983 release Zimbabwe, Ibrahim has mostly released albums under his own name.

Solo discography (see also Dollar Brand):

• Nisa African Violets (1978)
  
• Zimbabwe (1983)
  
• Ekaya (Home) (1983)
  
• Water From an Ancient Well (1986)
  
• African Dawn (1987)
  
• Mindif (OST, 1988)
  
• African River (1989)
  
• Mantra Mode (1991)
  
• Desert Flowers (1992)
  
• No Fear, No Die (S’en fout la mort) (OST, 1993)
  
• Knysna Blue (1994)
  
• Yarona (1995 • Abdullah Ibrahim Trio)
  
• The Legendary 1977 Encounter (1996 • Buddy Tates Meets Abdullah Ibrahim)
  
• Cape Town Flowers (1997)
  
• African Suite for Trio and String Orchestra (1998)
  
• African Symphony (2002)
  
• Senzo (2008)
  
• Sotho Blue (2010 • Abdullah Ibrahim & Ekaya)