Photo By:

Rudy Lu

Bakithi Kumalo

"Bartolini has been my sound since the beginning, I Love Bartolini"

Gear:

Bartolini Original PJ and Classic Jazz

Bakithi Kumalo is a world-renowned South African Bassist, Composer,and Vocalist best known for his iconic fretless bass contributions to Paul Simon’s landmark 1986 album, “Graceland”. Born in the Soweto township of Johannesburg, Kumalo began playing professionally at just seven years old, eventually moving to the United States following the international success of Graceland. Kumalo is celebrated for his “vocal-like” fretless bass tone, which fuses traditional South African rhythms (such as Zulu grooves) with American pop, jazz, and soul. Beyond his work as a sideman, he has released several solo albums, including San’ Bonan (1998), In Front of My Eyes (2000), and his most recent release, What You Hear Is What You See (2024).

His most famous performance is the virtuosic bass run in the middle of “You Can Call Me Al” which features a unique “palindromic” effect—the second half of the solo is actually a recording of the first half played in reverse. Kumalo has recorded or toured with a diverse range of legendary artists, including: Sting, Herbie Hancock,Gloria Estefan,Cyndi Lauper, Chaha Khan and the Tedeschi Trucks Band.

Kumalo has been ranked among the top 50 Bass Players in the world by Bass Player Magazine, he continues to be a major influence in the world music and jazz fusion scenes.