South African composer Abdullah Ibrahim (b 1934) got his start in the jazz bands Jazz Epistles and the Dollar Brand Trio. He went on to study at Julliard and collaborated with a number of America's jazz greats, including Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Ornette Coleman, and John Coltrane. He is perhaps most famous for the anti-apartheid anthem ''Mannenberg'', a standard of the Cape jazz style he helped develop.
Ibrahim's ''African Song'' for cello and piano is a short piece arranged from his cycle for solo piano. It is cheerful and sunny, showing influences from the South African marabi style of piano music. This piece is a perfect concert-piece for early-intermediate cellists.
