Bakithi Kumalo & The South African All-Stars – 50th Anniversary Series Live at the Ice House

A four-concert celebration at the Charles A. Brown Ice House, featuring artists whose reach extends beyond Godfrey Daniels’ intimate room. Showcasing legacy performers, emerging voices, and community partners, the series honors Godfrey Daniels’ long-standing role as a cultural anchor in Lehigh Valley while bringing its Live Music Listening Room spirit to a larger stage in Bethlehem.

Address: 56 River Street, Bethlehem PA 18018

Zekraft Concessions
will be available starting at 7 PM!

Bakithi Kumalo brings his celebrated fretless bass sound to Bethlehem with The South African All-Stars, joined by special guest vocalist Lenore. Known worldwide for his work on Paul Simon’s Graceland and collaborations with artists spanning jazz, pop, and world music, Kumalo blends South African rhythms with jazz and global influences. Presented by Godfrey Daniels as part of the 50th Anniversary Series Live at the Ice House, this concert expands the Listening Room experience to a larger stage while keeping the focus on musicianship, connection, and a shared love of music.

SPONSORED BY WDIY 88.1 FM | WDIY.ORG

Bakithi Kumalo & The South African All-Stars

Found at the heart and soul of modern-day anthems that have shaped our sense of music and culture as we know it, award-winning, multi-instrumentalist Bakithi Kumalo is ranked among the top 50 bass players in the world by Bass Player Magazine. With a career spent touring alongside artists including Hugh Masekela, the Grateful Dead, Sting, Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Gloria Estefan, Derek Trucks, Miriam Makeba, and many others, his abilities extend to his solo work as a singer, percussionist, pianist and songwriter—in addition to his bass playing—presenting a culmination of diverse influences from throughout his life.

Joined by the world-renowned South African All-Stars and special guest vocalist, Lenore, this upbeat experience will include songs from the iconic Graceland album by Paul Simon. Don't miss it!

Legendary South African bassist Bakithi Kumalo, renowned for his iconic bass lines in Paul Simon's Graceland album, will grace the stage alongside his talented ensemble, The South African All-Stars. Joining them is the soulful Cameroonian vocalist Kaïssa Doumbè, whose voice weaves together traditional and modern influences, showcasing her resilience and appreciation for the world around her. Together, they will take you on a musical journey that blends foot-tapping South African tunes, jazz standards, and world fusion originals. Don't miss this extraordinary collaboration that promises to leave you spellbound and inspired.

Grammy Award-winning bassist 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, Derek 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.

Kumalo has also been active as a solo artist, with five albums to his credit — 1998's San' Bonan, 2000's In Front of My Eyes, 2008’s Transmigration, 2011’s Change, and 2016’s After All These Years.