Tuesdays on the Terrace: Kahil El’Zabar with The Ethnic Heritage Ensemble
June 16, 20265:30 pm - 8:00 pm
This event is free, but capacity is limited. Early arrival encouraged!
About the Event
Summer Tuesdays come alive on the MCA terrace with free concerts highlighting artists from Chicago’s internationally renowned music community. Enjoy live music while relaxing on the lawn with your own picnic or savor snacks and drinks available for purchase. Then head inside to catch the MCA’s summer exhibitions—we’re open late on Tuesdays and free for Illinois residents.
The summer Tuesdays on the Terrace series starts off with a splash featuring multi-percussionist and composer Kahil El’Zabar, a Chicago-born innovator whose global sound is shaped by collaborations with legends like Dizzy Gillespie and Nina Simone. His work bridges deep musical lineage with expansive, forward-thinking vision.
About the Artists
Sir Kahil El’Zabar was knighted by the Council General of France for his global contributions to the arts. He has performed with luminaries like Dizzy Gillespie, Cannonball Adderley, Pharoah Sanders, Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, Archie Shepp, Eddie Harris, Donny Hathaway, Paul Simon, Ntozake Shange, Nona Hendryx, Neneh Cherry, Lester Bowie, Hamiet Bluiett, Malachi Favors, Billy Bang, and Gene Ammons, to name a few.
Dr. El’Zabar holds a PhD from Lake Forest College in Interdisciplinary Arts, as well as an honorary degree in Arts Philosophy, Aesthetics, and Arts Theory from IDSVA NYC. He has taught music at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the University of Illinois–Chicago.
He was appointed by President Bill Clinton to the National Task Force for Arts Presenting in Education and received the International Ambassador Award from President Barack Obama’s administration. El’Zabar has served on the boards of the Lila Wallace Reader’s Digest Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Campaign for the Freedom of Expression. He is also the former chairman of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM).
El’Zabar has recorded more than 70 acclaimed projects and founded and leads the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, which has a strong rhythmic foundation, innovative harmonics and counterpoint, and well-balanced interplay and polyphony among the players, resulting in highly developed ensemble dynamics. They are strong individual soloists with an in-depth grasp of music history, originality, fearlessness, and deep spirituality.
They create an electrifying mix of spiritual jazz and African rhythms built around fundamental brass improvisations and a swing-induced groove. The resulting trance-like fervor transports listeners into a mind-opening journey of spiritually enlightened deep listening.