Abdullah Ibrahim and Ekaya return for one-night-only birthday concert
Abdullah Ibrahim is returning to South Africa with his band Ekaya for a one-night-only concert in celebration of the legendary musician’s 75th birthday.
Taking place on the Ibrahim’s birthday on October 9th at Wits University’s Linder Auditorium, the concert gives those who missed Ibrahim and Ekaya’s critically acclaimed May 2009 performances the chance to witness these worldclass musicians in action.
Ekaya’s line-up features Beldon Bullock (bass) and George Gray (drums), both part of the Andulah Ibrahim Trio, and is augmented by Cleave Guyton (alto sax, flute), Keith Loftis, (tenor sax), Andrea Murchison (trombone) and Jason Marshall (baritone sax). All are highly respected jazz musicians based in New York.
During their May 2009 performances, Ibrahim and Ekaya presented a close to three-hour concert that made full use of Ibrahim’s talent as a band-leader and the member of Ekaya’s elegant and lively playing gifts. Fresh and engaging arrangements of Ibrahim’s formidable catalogue of music – including ‘The Wedding’ and ‘Mannenberg’ – received a rapturous response from the audience.
This time around Ibrahim promises more of this mesmerising music.
“But of course it’s not going to be the same as what we did in May,” he says. “We will be
playing with a different set programme and even then, in the middle of it we may go off in a different direction. You never know what’s going to happen.”
Ibrahim is unquestionably South Africa’s most revered living jazz composer and musician.
His relevance was recently underscored when his 2008 solo studio album ‘Senzo’ earned Ibrahim this year’s South African music Award (SAMA) for Best Male Artist. In 2008, the UK Guardian newspaper called Ibrahim “the African Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk combined” in its four-star review of his London Barbican shows and in its review of ‘Senzo’, allaboutjazz.com said the album “further solidifies Ibrahim's reputation as one of the jazz world's master melodists and improvisers”. In a further recognition of his contribution to South African music, Ibrahim was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree by Wits University in May 2009.
Ibrahim’s visit to South African in the middle of a full international touring schedule is also going to see him oversee auditions for the Department of Arts and Culture-funded New South African Orchestra that will draw on young jazz and classical musicians as well as those established in these two genres.
Auditions for the orchestra will be held at the Wits Great Hall on October 5th and 6th with a rehearsal taking place on October 7th for a segment to be included on the birthday show at the Linder Auditorium.
As part of this commitment to giving back at a level that really impacts, Ibrahim is also working with the WDR Cologne Radio Big Band and members of Ekaya on community programmes, including inaugurating a marching band initiative in South Africa with George Gray.
2010 tour dates include:
8 March - Switzerland - St. Gallen
Tonhalle - Ekaya
9 March - Switzerland - La Chaux-de-Fonds
Ekaha
11 March - Switzerland - Geneve
Victoria Hall - Ekaya
12 March - Switzerland - Zurich
Tonhalle - Ekaya
13 March - Switzerland - Basel
Statscassino - Ekaya
14 March - Switzerland - Bern
Kulturcassino - Ekaya
17 March - Belgium - Brugge
Ekaya
20 March - Germany - Mulheim
Stadshalle - Ekaya