“We will focus on new material in the concerts. We will play excerpts from The Balance ... that define the essence of the Thabo Mbeki Foundation project — restoring balance in the mindset of our lives, our communities,” he said.
The Balance, Ibrahim’s first new album with Ekaya in years, was released in June. He will be performing compositions from it such as Dreamtime.
Ibrahim said of Ekaya: “These musicians are highly skilled and could all go and play in a philharmonic orchestra, but classical music can’t compare to our dimension. I cannot play Bach; that’s not how I breathe.”
The Cape Town-born pianist, whose albums have won countless accolades around the world, said his music “gives total freedom to follow your own heartbeat and own rhythm”.
He added that he is in discussion with the Western Cape government about bringing his archives to Cape Town.
Recalling times in Botswana and Zambia, where he and Mbeki once met in exile, Ibrahim said: “We have known each other a long time - 100 years.”
The Thabo Mbeki Presidential Library aspires to be a centre of excellence for African knowledge and scholarship, a place “where Africans get to know and write their own history”.