Editing Abdullah Ibrahim (section)

==Biography==
Ibrahim was born in [[Cape Town]], South Africa, on 9 October 1934, and was baptized Adolph Johannes Brand. He attended [[Trafalgar High School (Cape Town)|Trafalgar High School]] in Cape Town's [[District Six]], and began piano lessons at the age of seven, making his professional debut at 15.<ref name=Biography>[http://abdullahibrahim.co.za/biography/ "Biography"], Abdullah Ibrahim official website. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710122431/http://abdullahibrahim.co.za/biography/ |date=10 July 2017 }}.</ref> He is of [[mixed-race]] heritage, making him a [[Coloureds|Coloured person]] according to the apartheid system.{{sfn|Mason|2007|pp=26–30}} His mother played piano in a church, the musical style of which would remain an influence on him; in addition, he learned to play several genres of music during his youth in Cape Town, including ''[[marabi]]'', ''[[mbaqanga]]'', and American jazz. He became well known in jazz circles in Cape Town and [[Johannesburg]].{{sfn|Mason|2007|pp=26–28}}

In 1959 and 1960, Ibrahim played with [[the Jazz Epistles]] group in [[Sophiatown]], alongside saxophonists [[Kippie Moeketsi]] and [[Mackay Davashe]], trumpeter [[Hugh Masekela]], trombonist [[Jonas Gwangwa]] (who were all in the orchestra of the musical ''[[King Kong (1959 musical)|King Kong]]'' that opened in Johannesburg in February 1959),<ref name="Merz 2016">{{cite journal | last=Merz | first=Christopher Linn | title=Tracing the Development of the South African Alto Saxophone Style | journal=The World of Music | volume=5 | issue=2 | year=2016 | issn=0043-8774 | jstor=44651147 | pages=31–46 }}</ref><ref>[http://soulsafari.wordpress.com/2009/08/10/king-kong-the-first-all-african-jazz-opera-1959/ "King Kong, the first All African Jazz Opera"], Soul Safari, 10 August 2009. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328113531/http://soulsafari.wordpress.com/2009/08/10/king-kong-the-first-all-african-jazz-opera-1959/ |date=28 March 2012 }}.</ref><ref>In the memoir [https://books.google.com/books?id=oAotDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT161 ''King Kong - Our Knot of Time and Music: A personal memoir of South Africa's legendary musical''], by lyricist Pat Williams (London: Portobello Books, 2017), Ibrahim is quoted as saying about the show: "In spite of what everyone says, I had nothing to do with it."</ref> bassist Johnny Gertze and drummer [[Makaya Ntshoko]]; in January 1960, the six musicians went into the [[Gallo Record Company|Gallo]] studio and recorded the first full-length jazz LP by Black South African musicians, ''Jazz Epistle Verse One'',<ref name=Biography /><ref name=carr>[[Ian Carr|Carr, Ian]], [[Digby Fairweather]] and [[Brian Priestley]] (3rd edn, 2004). ''The Rough Guide to Jazz'', London: Rough Guides Ltd, pp. 385–87. {{ISBN|1-84353-256-5}}.</ref><ref>Odidi, Billie, [http://www.africareview.com/arts-and-culture/979194-1277230-77bnjmz/index.html "The South African with a brilliant jazz touch"], ''Africa Review'', 22 November 2011. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807194246/http://www.africareview.com/arts-and-culture/979194-1277230-77bnjmz/index.html |date=7 August 2017 }}.</ref> with 500 copies being produced.<ref name=VV>Mitter, Siddhartha, [https://www.villagevoice.com/2017/04/26/never-mind-the-bollocks-heres-the-jazz-epistles/ "Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Jazz Epistles"], ''[[The Village Voice]]'', 26 April 2017. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170804173441/https://www.villagevoice.com/2017/04/26/never-mind-the-bollocks-heres-the-jazz-epistles/ |date=4 August 2017 }}.</ref> Although the group avoided explicitly political activity, the apartheid government was suspicious of it and other jazz groups, and targeted them heavily during the increase in state repression following the [[Sharpeville massacre]] in March 1960, and eventually, the Jazz Epistles broke up.{{sfn|Mason|2007|pp=27–29}}