Abdullah Ibrahim

In terms of the music, it was probably for me the only means of escape, because at least we could play in our own environment.

So I grew up in playing dance bands, behind vocal groups, playing variety concerts.

But the main halls or arena of activity on a social, economic and political, from those aspects were completely denied to us.

There are vivid images and memories of confrontation with apartheid and being subjected to its brutality.

So one has a decision to make.

Either you stay there and toe the line

or you leave and try to carry on or play the music, or you stop.

We just stop and giving like has happened to so many of our talented people.

Yes.

It was after deep contemplation, being out all those years, that we decided to go back.

But it was at the time when I took Shahada, when I became Muslim.

And that was on the way to making Hajj, going to Makkah for pilgrimage.

And I needed to do it from home.

And it was at that time that I got together this group of young musicians.

And we recorded a lot of music together.

The song Cape Town Fringe was recorded in Cape Town.

The original title is called Manenberg.

Manenberg is a township on the outskirts of Cape Town, the counterpart of Soweto, perhaps.

When the album was released in this country, the marketing people decided to call it Cape Town Fringe, which I think was agreeable because the township or just the word Manenberg was completely, I think, foreign to people here.

I've always, as always, in any struggle, and especially in Southern Africa, the music has played a very important role.