Bakithi Kumalo (born 10 May 1956) is a South African bassist, composer, and vocalist. best known for his fretless bass playing on Paul Simon’s 1986 album Graceland, in particular the bass run on “You Can Call Me Al”.
Bakithi Kumalo Age
He was born on 10 May 1956 in Alexandra, Gauteng, South Africa. Kumalo is 67 years old as of 2023
Bakithi Kumalo Career
He got his first job at the age of seven fillings in for his uncle’s bass player. 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.
In 1985, Kumalo was introduced to Paul Simon by producer Hendrick Lebone during the sessions for Simon’s Graceland album. Kumalo traveled with Simon to New York to finish the sessions, and after the accompanying concert tour, “spent several years commuting between Soweto and New York City” before permanently settling in the United States. Kumalo has toured regularly with Simon since then.
He has also released several solo records, and continued to perform as a session musician with artists such as Joan Baez, Cyndi Lauper, Herbie Hancock, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Randy Brecker, Grover Washington Jr., and Mickey Hart.
Albums
- Graceland (1986)
- Paradise in Gazankulu (1988)
- Step on the Bass Line (1988)
- A Night To Remember (1989)
- Sanibonani (1998)
- Supralingua – Mickey Hart and Planet Drum (1998)
- In Front of My Eyes (2000)
- This Is Me (2005)
- Transmigration (2006)
- Change (2009)
- Stranger to Stranger (2016)
Bakithi Kumalo Net Worth
Kumalo has an estimated net worth of $500 000 which he has earned from his career as a musician.
Reference
- The contents of this page are sourced from Wikipedia article on 3 Dec 2020. The contents are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
