Once known as the musician Dollar Brand, Abdullah Ibrahim is bringing his uncanny jazz piano stylings to Spoleto Festival USA this year. With his band “Ekaya,” Ibrahim’s blend of contemporary and classical techniques are far from the standard fare.
Having made his professional debut at age 15, Ibrahim has spent the past several decades honing his playing style and finding a unique musical voice in his work across his prolific discography. Combining elements of American jazz, South African folk music, and European hymn structure, Ibrahim has crafted a body of work as well-traveled as he is.
“My teachers told me there are millions and millions of people on the planet, but we will hear your voice and recognize it over all the millions of people,” Ibrahim said. “We need to find our own individual voice and accept it, and use it, apply to whatever we do and then we’ll have no competition.”
Age has not kept Ibrahim from following his passion, as he is currently on a world tour at the age of 88. While many other musicians might have stopped touring by this age, Ibrahim embraces his ability to play in his trademark warm, world-influenced tone with concerts across the globe.
Ibrahim’s playfulness translates into every culture, even as he claims to see no difference between the audiences. “We play to people, we find the responses to everything we do. Those who think it’s wonderful, and rubbish, and we negotiate between those,” he said, barely containing a laugh.
A recurring motif in much of Ibrahim’s work is patience, something identified by scholars, critics, and even the man himself. While other jazz musicians opt for more frenetic pace, Ibrahim is known for his methodical playing, never running his way to the next measure.
“In his music I hear patience, and a complete lack of pretentiousness in his approach,” said James Gordon Williams, assistant professor of composition in African-American/Global- African Traditions at the University of California, Santa Cruz. “His style of playing is unique in terms of patience on a solo piano. He does not have a need to put a lot of clutter in his music.”
When asked if this style was intentional, Ibrahim said, “What else can we develop except patience?”
That principle rings true in his work time and time again. Although Ibrahim may rush from country to country on his tour, he takes the time to enjoy every one, often visiting old friends in each city he visits, including many he is excited to see again at Spoleto USA.
“It is a joy and an honor to come and share our thoughts and moments with this iconic festival, Spoleto, and its people,” Ibrahim said. “There’s a history that resonates with it, and we have a lot of friends in that area, and are looking forward to sharing it with everyone.”
Connections shape much of Ibrahim’s work. While jazz piano can easily sound isolated in an ensemble, Ibrahim is known for his ability to use it to further connect all the instruments around him, becoming a throughline that combines elements of each part of the harmony.
“His ability to be in the moment, to be creative in the moment in a way that he goes deep into both himself and his humanity, is something that connects to all of humanity regardless of geography, race and gender,” said Williams.
Those connections will be on display as Ibrahim takes the stage with his band “Ekaya” at Spoleto USA. Their performance is sure to show practice, patience, and the depth of connectivity to music in a way that anyone can approach and understand.
IF YOU PLAN TO GO: Performance is June 8 at 9 p.m. at Cistern Yard. Tickets are $25 to $58.
C.M. McCambridge is an arts journalism graduate student at Syracuse University.