Bakithi Kumalo & The South African AllStars, with Cameroonian Singer Kaïssa Doumbè

Event: fb://event/591179123259323
Legendary South African bassist Bakithi Kumalo, renowned for his iconic bass lines in Paul Simon’s Graceland album, will grace the stage alongside his talented ensemble, The South African AllStars. Joining them is the soulful Cameroonian vocalist Kaïssa Doumbè, whose voice weaves traditional and modern influences, showcasing her resilience and appreciation for the world around her. Together, they will take you on a musical journey that blends foot-tapping South African tunes, jazz standards, and world fusion originals. Don’t miss this extraordinary collaboration that promises to leave you spellbound and inspired.
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Bakithi Kumalo
bakithikumalobass.com
LEGENDARY, AWARD-WINNING SOUTH AFRICAN BASSIST
Praise for his work… South African fretless bassist, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and songwriter that has played on 4 Grammy-Award-winning albums, with credit on Paul Simon’s Graceland album for iconic bass lines in songs “You Can Call Me Al,” “Boy in the Bubble,” and “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes.”
Found at the heart and soul of modern-day anthems that have shaped our sense of music and culture as we know it, award-winning, multi-instrumentalist Bakithi Kumalo (Bah-Gee-Tee Koo-Ma-Low) is ranked among the top 50 bass players in the world by Bass Player Magazine. With a career spent touring alongside artists including Hugh Masekela, the Grateful Dead, Sting, Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Gloria Estefan, Derek Trucks, Miriam Makeba, and many others, his abilities extend to his solo work as a singer, percussionist, pianist and songwriter—in addition to his bass playing—presenting a culmination of diverse influences from throughout his life.
Born in the Soweto township of Johannesburg, South Africa, and surrounded by relatives who loved music and actively performed, with traditional African rhythms and a cappella vocal groups all around him. Kumalo learned to follow the groove of the bass lines and developed licks based on the left-hand work of accordion players in the township bands. Landing his first job at the age of seven filling in for his uncle’s bass player, he continued to work as a session musician in South Africa during the 1970s and early 1980s, and was soon recognized as a top session bassist, accompanying international performers during their South African tours.
Introduced to Paul Simon through producer Hendrick Lebone during recording sessions for the Graceland album in 1985, Kumalo traveled with Simon to New York to finish the record. Following accompaniment on the premier tour, he spent several years commuting between Soweto and New York City before permanently settling in the United States.
Touring regularly with Simon throughout his career, Kumalo has recorded with and performed alongside artists including Joan Baez, Cyndi Lauper, Hugh Masekela, Herbie Hancock, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Randy Brecker, Grover Washington Jr., Mickey Hart, and Disney’s The Lion King.
Best known for his groundbreaking bass line in “You Can Call Me Al,” pocket grooves from “Boy In The Bubble” and “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes,” and his overall big bass sound, Kumalo has also released several solo albums. His most recent project had him working alongside producer Maxfeld Gast and Militia Hill to create What You Hear Is What You See.
The South African AllStars
These long-time friends and collaborators always make incredible intuitive and flawless music. Several of the longtime members are from South Africa, and two of them are original players from Paul Simon’s Graceland Album (Bakithi Kumalo and Morris Goldberg). Features feettapping, head-bopping traditional South African tunes and an eclectic mix of jazz standards and world fusion originals. Special guests frequently join in and brushing up on your Zulu language skills is highly recommended since Bakithi may ask you to join in…
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Kaïssa Doumbè
kaissa.com
With a voice that simultaneously showcases warmth, appreciation, struggle and resilience, Kaïssa is an aural artisan whose music paints a lush, vivid picture of the ever-changing world around her.
Born in Cameroon, Kaïssa immigrated with her family to France at the age of 13 and now resides in New York City. The remnants of her transcultural shifts are still present in her music, which fluidly interweaves contemporary issues with traditional and modern influences.Whether singing about the beauty of the trees, or the harsh realities of war, Kaïssa’s lyrics are made even more powerful in their simplicity. Definitely optimistic, her new songs call for attention to the plight of many places in the world, ravaged by the evils of man, but always helpful that the change for the better is just around the corner.When going down the list of traits that truly make an artist great, one attribute that stands out is honesty. Honesty in lyrics, honesty in performance, and honesty in presentation. Music connects with the soul when it is without pretense, the heart knows when it is hearing a lie. Kaïssa’s music is an example of just how beautiful the truth can be.