Jazz pianist, born in Cape Town, South Africa. His group, Jazz Epistles, recorded the country's first black jazz album (1960). He was invited by Duke Ellington (1962) to work in the USA. Since then, he has worked as a soloist and leader in America and Europe, notably in the 1980s with his septet Ekaya ("Home'). He also plays cello, soprano saxophone, and flute, and is remarkable for his jazz interpretations of the melodies and rhythms of his African childhood. He adopted his Muslim name in the 1970s.