The great Abdullah Ibrahim is gone. The news broke from Cape Town this afternoon. A statement from his family confirmed he died peacefully at home. He was 89. Ibrahim was the consummate South African artist. A pianist, a composer, a freedom fighter. His music was the soundtrack to the struggle against apartheid. He was exiled for decades. He never stopped playing. His song 'Mannenberg' became an anthem. It was banned by the apartheid regime. It was played at celebrations after Mandela's release. That tells you everything.
Westminster has moved quickly. The Foreign Secretary put out a statement within an hour. ‘A giant of jazz and a giant of humanity.’ That is the official line. But the real feeling is deeper. Ibrahim was a favourite of the late Queen. He played at her Golden Jubilee in 2002. He was awarded the Order of the Ikhamanga by South Africa. He never quite got the same recognition here. That may change now. Tributes are pouring in from across the Commonwealth. Canada, Australia, India. The High Commissions are all issuing statements. It is a rare moment of unity.
The timing is interesting. It comes as the government pushes its Commonwealth trade agenda. Soft power is real. Ibrahim was soft power personified. Expect his music to be played at Downing Street receptions. Expect a memorial service in London. Possibly at Westminster Abbey. The chatter is that the South African High Commissioner wants a joint event. That would be a first.
But let us not get cynical. Not yet. The man was a genius. His hands could make a piano weep. I saw him once at Ronnie Scott’s. Twenty years ago. He played for two hours. He did not say a word. He did not need to. The silence in the room was holy. That is the kind of artist he was.
His legacy is secure. He influenced everyone from Miles Davis to the Skull Snaps. He fused jazz with African rhythms. He made it global. He was a spiritual man. A Muslim convert. He once said his music was a form of prayer. Given the state of the world, we could do with more of that.
Backbench MPs are already calling for a national tribute. A minute’s silence in the Commons. A debate on his contribution. It will happen. The whips will not block it. That is how effective his reach is. Even the Eurosceptics like him. Even the culture warriors. He transcended politics.
The funeral will be in Cape Town. But there will be a service here. The family wants something at St Martin-in-the-Fields. That is the church on Trafalgar Square. It fits. Ibrahim played there for Nelson Mandela’s birthday. The acoustics are perfect.
I am told the Prime Minister will record a video tribute. It will be released tomorrow. The Palace is also preparing something. Prince Charles was a fan. He met Ibrahim several times. The archives will show that.
For now, the world is playing his music. Listen to 'Mannenberg' again. It sounds like hope. It sounds like resistance. It sounds like home. That is what we have lost.
Eleanor Rigby, Political Bureau Chief
