Abdullah Ibrahim Solotude 180g LP

Each year on October 9th, Abdullah Ibrahim performs a solo piano concert at the Hirzinger Hall in South Germany in order to celebrate his birthday. Due to lockdown restrictions in 2020, this traditional birthday concert was replaced with the opportunity to record a solo piano performance. Hirzinger Hall, in Riedering, South East Germany, is famous for its incredible acoustics, and Ibrahim’s solitary performance lends itself perfectly to the space. The recording crew was sparse, the audience non-existent, yet Ibrahim’s communion with the piano remains warm and timeless.

In his own words:

“6 years old – I played my first note on the piano with the index finger.

Now 80 years and 10 fingers later – a journey that took me from Cape Town to all corners and mentors of the world – the index finger unveiled plays itself – the one note of universal unity.

My great-grandfather with his index finger showed me the hidden kalahari dreamtime essence of the plants, flowers, animals and sound of the distant hills.

I was 6 years young.“

As heard on this lovely vinyl release, the mood of the space lent notes of wistfulness and fortitude to his playing. Longer pieces like ‘In-Tempo’ and ‘Once Upon A Midnight’ flow into the shorter works surrounding it, evoking the sensation of being unbound from linear time while waiting patiently for this messy period of our collective history to come to a close.”