Kahil El’Zabar – born Clifton Blackburn in Chicago, Illinois on November 11, 1953 – is a bebop and jazz percussionist, drummer and composer. Growing up surrounded by different cultures and music, he was introduced to everything from doo wop to jazz. He began studying African music when he was you, showing a particular interest in percussion. After attending Catholic school, he attended several colleges including Kennedy-King, Malcolm X, and Lake Forest. Interested in African music, he attended the University of Ghana to study it firsthand. When he was 18, he joined Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) and became chairman of the organization 1975. In the early 1970s, Kahil El'Zabar formed his own musical group, the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble. He also founded Ritual Trio and would record and perform with both bands concurrently. The Ethnic Heritage Ensemble began releasing albums with 1981’s Three Gentlemen from Chicago. They would continue releasing albums over the next three decades. His second musical project, Ritual Trio, made their recorded debut with the 1985 album The Ritual. Along with the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, Ritual Trio, remains an active recording and performing project. Kahil El’Zabar has also released albums as a leader or co-leader since the 1980s and has recorded with Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Nina Simone, and others.
