How do you describe the extraordinary? How do you capture an unforgettable moment? The first time I had the privilege of watching Ntate Abdullah Ibrahim was in June 2016 at Emperor’s Palace. He was performing as part of the Jazz Epistles. There was no way I would miss the opportunity to watch the master pianist, the great (late) Bra Hugh and Ntate Jonas Gwangwa perform on the same stage at the same time.

That night I drove out of the casino resort and thought, “Did that really just happen?” I made a promise to myself that if I ever had the opportunity to watch those men perform live again I would walk over broken glass and volunteer to be a grizzly bear’s toy. Okay, not quite, but I think you get the point.

Imagine my excitement when I heard over the radio that Ntate Abdullah Ibrahim and his New York Ekaya band would be performing at the AI & TM Benefit Concert on 27 and 29 November in Johannesburg and Cape Town respectively! I didn’t have the faintest idea how I would get to The Lyric Theatre, but I knew that I had to be there come hell or high water.

On 27 November 2019, I experienced a master pianist. He had impeccable timing and played every note with such attention that you’d think it was the only note he ever played. Time froze. He struck the keys with such crispness that they almost echoed. Then his fingers suddenly danced across the black and white notes; they danced as if they would never stop. There were times when he played a single complimentary note at particular points in the journey to enhance the band’s performance with such incredible timing. There was intent and purpose behind everything he did; the octogenarian’s body language was evident of that.

One of the beauties of music is that it is a universal language. You don’t need to know anything about its technical aspects in order to enjoy it. What is clear though, is that Ekaya is a well-oiled machine. The band leader, Abdullah Ibrahim, played in such a way that you felt as though you had stepped into a mysterious, magical world, where stories, ancient and yet to be told, came alive through music. Not a single note was rushed or left to linger longer than it should have. A gentle bob of the head, hunch of the shoulders or movement of the lips, as if he told the audience a secret, suggested that this peaceful soul became one with the music, the piano an extension of himself.

The percussionist, who appeared to be the youngest band member, did not disappoint. He played with such passion that he too thrived, particularly when given the opportunity to showcase his talent with a solo. The audience seemed to appreciate the bass cellist’s ability to play such a large instrument with ease. There is no question, based on his body language and facial expressions, that he enjoyed the upright instrument more than the delicate violin. His ability to flirt with a shiny flute and hold delicate notes, while almost twirling through a solo with the lightest touch, was impressive. The lanky trombonist won the audience over from his very first solo. I marveled and wondered how long one’s arms must be to play a trombone effectively. The saxophones had a special place in the hearts of the older generation as I listened to an elderly man sitting behind me, and a few in the crowd, made some humming and murmuring sounds of deep approval and reverence.

The septet, established in 1983, played with a synergy and mutual respect that I imagine is hard to fake. As they performed, I found myself wondering: how long had they been playing in order to get to this point? How did they meet, is this the same group that recorded “The Balance” in one session? How did the octogenarian and master pianist select who should play alongside him? I’m reminded of how he once said in an interview that to achieve excellence one must invest in loss. There’s no question that for this band to work the question of egos must have been dealt with very early on, and given the leader’s relentless pursuit of perfection, the respect for the craft must’ve taken precedence.

Tell us: What do you think of the author’s experience thus far?