Andreas Vollenweider - Treasures of the Archives – Part 38
🎵Treasures of the Archives – Part 38:
Memories of
✨COSMOPOLY SESSIONS with Abdullah Ibrahim | Basel, Switzerland, 2001✨
„We have received sad news: Abdullah Ibrahim passed away on June 15, 2026, at the age of 91, at Lake Chiemsee in Germany.
I shared many connections with Abdullah.
His playing inspired me from my early youth.
When I first heard one of his concerts live, I was somehow surprised, because he played the piano very much the way I did—only worlds better of course.
It was his hypnotic left-hand ostinato figures and the harmonized melodies in his right hand that felt so familiar to me.
Later, during his years in exile, we supported his projects against the brutal apartheid regime.
Through our own music, we had already developed a strong connection to South Africa from the early 1980s onward.
Many years later, in the early 2000s, a wonderful collaboration emerged.
It began with my album COSMOPOLY, which features three of our improvisations.
This was followed by a tour through various cities across Europe.
The time spent travelling with Abdullah remains unforgettable for me.
With his passing, an important voice for a better world has fallen silent.
And yet, that voice continues to resonate through his music.“ – Andreas