When he was 18, Kahil El’Zabar joined the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) in Chicago, while forming his own musical group, the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble. In 1973, he attended the University of Ghana to further his studies of African music. Among the wide range of percussion instruments El'Zabar schooled himself on are balaphon, berimbau, bongos, congas, kalimba, marimba, sanza and shekere. His versatility and skill made him a regular collaborator with with jazz artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Donny Hathaway, Fred Hopkins, David Murray and Henry Threadgill, as well as the pop artists Paul Simon, Nina Simone and Stevie Wonder. El’Zabar’s has also composed several film scores, from SAVANNAH (1988) to LOVE JONES (1997).