It is with profound sadness that Artscape Theatre Centre joins South Africa and the world in mourning the passing of Dr Abdullah Ibrahim, one of the greatest musical minds our country has ever produced.
Dr Ibrahim’s story is, in many ways, Cape Town’s story. Born in District Six in 1934, he carried the sounds of this city , the klopse, the church hymns, the Cape Malay rhythms, the jazz of the townships out into the world, and in doing so gave South Africa a musical language that spoke of resistance, exile, hope and home, all at once. Compositions like Mannenberg became more than music; they became the soundtrack of a people’s endurance through some of our darkest years.
Artscape was honoured to have played a small part in his extraordinary journey home. In October 2017, Dr Ibrahim graced our stage for two unforgettable solo piano concerts, sharing seven decades of compositions shaped by the people, places and struggles that defined his life. We were equally privileged to host him as guest of honour for a masterclass under the Department of Arts and Culture’s Living Legends Legacy Programme, where he reminded a new generation of artists that music, above all, must tell a story — one with integrity, with truth, and without ego.
That generosity of spirit, the willingness to return again and again to the city and the young artists who shaped him is something we at Artscape will always treasure and never forget.
Though Dr Ibrahim spent much of his life abroad, his heart, as his partner Dr Marina Umari so movingly said, remained with South Africa and its people until the very end. His passing marks the close of an extraordinary chapter, but his music that distilled, disciplined, deeply spiritual sound will continue to teach, to heal and to inspire for generations to come.
On behalf of the Artscape Theatre Centre family, our board, staff and the broader arts community we serve, I extend our deepest condolences to Dr Ibrahim’s family, friends and collaborators across the world.
Hamba kahle, Dr Ibrahim. Thank you for the music and thank you for always coming home.
Marlene le Roux, CEO, Artscape Theatre Centre
