ARTISTKahil El'Zabar

Kahil El’Zabar was born in Chicago on November 11, 1953. He is a member of the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, and several groups bearing his name, including Kahil El’Zabar’s Ritual Trio, Kahil El’Zabar Trio, and Kahil El’Zabar’s Infinity Orchestra. The listed roles across these groups include percussion, drums, and mbira; some lineups also list vocals and congas.

The Ritual, made with Lester Bowie and Malachi Favors, was released in 1986. El’Zabar later shared credits with David Murray on Golden Sea (1989) and One World Family (2000). In 2001, Spirits Entering was released with Billy Bang, as was The Calling, credited to Bluiett, Jackson, and El’Zabar. Releases from 2020 include the single In My House and the album Kahil El’Zabar’s Spirit Groove, both with David Murray, as well as the solo album Kahil El’Zabar’s America the Beautiful.