When Ellington declares to you, "You are blessed because you come from the source," can your future be anything but... radiant? The rest of Abdullah Ibrahim's career proved Duke right. Coming from the source is a kind of dream for jazz musicians born in the United States. And since Abdullah Ibrahim is from Africa, he has always mixed his jazz with the rhythms of the townships, gospel, Khoisan folklore, and even classical music.

The South African, who mingled with the likes of Pharoah Sanders, Don Cherry, Elvin Jones, Cecil Taylor, and John Coltrane under the alias Dollar Brand, is an untouchable sage whose precepts it is both healthy and necessary to regularly listen to. With them, he plays and exchanges, immersed in a cultural melting pot that leads him to explore his African roots and convert to Islam.

After his return to South Africa in the late 1960s, he quickly became one of the prominent voices against apartheid, notably with his composition "Mannenberg," recorded in 1974 and considered the unofficial national anthem of the country. In 1994, he was naturally invited to perform it at Nelson Mandela's presidential inauguration ceremony in South Africa.

At 87 years old, the renowned South African composer and pianist returns with a new album titled "Solotude," which is a sublime testament of a grand master whose serenity and playing are simply dazzling. Throughout his journey, Abdullah Ibrahim has never ceased to explore, invent, and deepen his art, whether in collaboration with others or solo.