Zaki Ibrahim is a

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

singer-songwriter. Her music blends R&B,

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

.Zaki Ibrahim: No borders
CBC Music, March 12, 2012.

Career

Born in

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

to a father from

and a mother from the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

,"One to Watch: Zaki Ibrahim"
''

The Grid The Grid is an English electronic dance group, consisting of David Ball (formerly of Soft Cell) and Richard Norris, with guest contributions from other musicians. They are best known for the hits "Swamp Thing", "Texas Cowboys", "Crystal Cle ...

'', June 28, 2012. Ibrahim spent her childhood as what she describes as a "citizen of the world", living at different times in Canada, South Africa, the United Kingdom and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. Her father, Zane Ibrahim, was a pioneering radio broadcaster in South Africa,"In Due Time"
''The Toronto Standard'', June 29, 2012. who was one of the founders of the influential

community radio Community radio is a radio service offering a third model of radio broadcasting in addition to commercial and public broadcasting. Community stations serve geographic communities and communities of interest. They broadcast content that is popula ...

station Bush Radio. She moved to

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

in the mid-2000s, and soon became a popular draw on the city's live music scene. She released her debut EP, ''Shö (Iqra in Orange)'', in 2006. Following one show at the

El Mocambo The El Mocambo is a live music and entertainment venue in Toronto, Ontario. Located on Spadina Avenue, just south of College Street, the venue has played an important role in the development of popular music in Toronto since 1948. It is best kn ...

in 2007, her production team and supporting musicians immediately formed an

assembly line An assembly line is a manufacturing process (often called a ''progressive assembly'') in which parts (usually interchangeable parts) are added as the semi-finished assembly moves from workstation to workstation where the parts are added in se ...

to produce and burn a

compact disc The compact disc (CD) is a digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then released in Oc ...

recording of the just-completed show for immediate sale; the lineup to purchase copies extended well outside the club's front door. She released a second EP, ''Eclectica (Episodes in Purple)'', in 2008. Her live shows to support the EP included an appearance with

Bedouin Soundclash Bedouin Soundclash is a Canadian band based in Toronto and consisting of vocalist and guitarist Jay Malinowski, bass player Eon Sinclair and drummer Chuck Treece. Their sound has been described as a combination of reggae and ska. Bedouin Soundc ...

at the 2008 MuchMusic Video Awards, and a show opening for

Erykah Badu Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu (), is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Influenced by R&B, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the late 1990s when her debut al ...

Massey Hall Massey Hall is a performing arts theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Opened in 1894, it is known for its outstanding acoustics and was the long-time hall of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. An intimate theatre, it was originally designed to sea ...

. She garnered a Juno Award nomination for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2009 for her single "Money". Her song "Ansomnia" was included in the 2010 film soundtrack '' For Colored Girls: Music From and Inspired by the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack''. Her first full-length album, ''Every Opposite'', was released in 2012. The album was named as a longlisted nominee for the

2013 Polaris Music Prize The 2013 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 23, 2013

on June 13, 2013,"Polaris Music Prize Unveils 2013 Long List"
'' Exclaim!'', June 13, 2013. and subsequently named to the short list on July 16, 2013."Polaris Music Prize Announces 2013 Short List"
'' Exclaim!'', July 16, 2013. She is currently based in Toronto Ontario.

Albums

*''Shö (Iqra in Orange)'' - 2006 *''Eclectica (Episodes in Purple)'' - 2008 *''Every Opposite'' - 2012 *''The Secret Life of Planets'' - 2018

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ibrahim, Zaki Canadian rhythm and blues singers Canadian soul singers Canadian women jazz singers Canadian people of British descent Canadian people of South African descent Musicians from British Columbia Living people South African rhythm and blues musicians South African jazz singers 21st-century South African women singers Musicians from Cape Town Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century Canadian women singers