Legendary Grammy Award Winning Bass Player for Paul Simon
BAKITHI KUMALO WAS BORN IN THE SOWETO TOWNSHIP OF JOHANNESBURG, SURROUNDED BY RELATIVES WHO LOVED MUSIC AND ACTIVELY PERFORMED. KUMALO WORKED AS A SESSION MUSICIAN IN SOUTH AFRICA DURING THE 1970S AND EARLY 1980S, EVENTUALLY BECOMING A TOP SESSION BASSIST AND ACCOMPANYING INTERNATIONAL PERFORMERS DURING THEIR SOUTH AFRICAN TOURS.
BAKITHI KUMALO'S MUSICAL CAREER HAS BEEN CHARACTERIZED BY A SERIES OF SERENDIPITOUS EVENTS, RANGING FROM HIS DEBUT GIG AS A PRECOCIOUS SEVEN-YEAR-OLD FILLING IN FOR THE BASSIST IN HIS UNCLE'S BAND TO HIS ENLISTMENT INTO PAUL SIMON'S GROUP DURING THE RECORDING SESSIONS OF THE POP STAR'S LANDMARK GRACELAND ALBUM IN 1985.
KUMALO CREATES A SINGULAR ELECTRIC FRETLESS BASS SOUND TEEMING WITH DOUBLE STOPS THAT SOUND LIKE HUMAN VOICES AND THE AFRICAN GROOVES OF HIS HOMELAND, WHICH HAS GARNERED HIM A STELLAR REPUTATION AS A SIDEMAN. IN ADDITION TO TOURING WITH SIMON, HE'S ALSO RECORDED AND/OR TOURED WITH GLORIA ESTEFAN, DERRICK TRUCKS AND SUSAN TEDESCHI, CHICO CEASAR, LAURIE ANDERSON, GERALD ALBRIGHT, MIRIAM MAKEBA, RANDY BRECKER, GROVER WASHINGTON JR., BOB JAMES, ANGELIQUE KIDJO, JON SECADA, JOSH GROBAN AND CHRIS BOTTI.
"GROWING UP AMIDST TRADITIONAL AFRICAN MUSIC AND LISTENING TO POPULAR AMERICAN MUSIC ON THE RADIO, BAKITHI FUSES THESE ELEMENTS WITH INTUITIVE RHYTHMIC AND HARMONIC COMPLEXITY. HE EXUDES WORLDLINESS WITH HIS PLAYING, SEAMLESSLY JUMPING FROM AFRICAN RHYTHMS TO LATIN FEELS, BOSSA NOVA GROOVES, ODD TIME SIGNATURES, AND AMERICAN POP, JAZZ, AND SOUL." - BASS PLAYERS TO KNOW: BAKITHI KUMALO BY RYAN MADORA
