Cultural citizen

>> Ethnic Heritage Ensemble’s Kahil El’Zabar on thinking our way to better days

HERITAGE MOMENT: Kahil El’Zabar

by ERIN MACLEOD

Kahil El’Zabar’s Ethnic Heritage Ensemble are no strangers to Montreal. Every year, come Black History Month, the Ethnics come from Chicago to not only perform in our fair city, but also to work with young musicians through collaboration and workshops. This year is especially significant as the EHE celebrates 35 years and some 40-odd recordings. El’Zabar—whose CV includes everything from playing with Stevie Wonder at age 17 to arranging music for the Lion King musical to his new project, an online cultural network called Ooh!Live—is committed to learning as much as teaching. In a conversation with the Mirror, El’Zabar shared his thoughts on working with others, EHE’s long history, the role of art and a fellow Chicagoan who just might get a run at the White House.

Mirror: What do you feel you gain from collaborating with so many different artists?

Kahil El’Zabar: Collaborative projects bring unique challenges that help develop me as an artist. They build a rich network and fabric in the arts.

M: Kalmunity seems to share this strong community vibe.

KEZ: They are kindred spirits. Seeing this in the younger generation shows that these values have not only been maintained, but they are advancing. It’s exciting, hopeful and inspires me to participate.

M: Your visit marks the 35th anniversary of the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble. How do you think your approach to music has developed?

KEZ: A mentor and collaborator of mine was Malachi Favors who worked with EHE and with my band Ritual Trio for many years. He passed a few years ago. One of the things he always said was, “Ancient to the future, a power stronger than itself.” If you can connect to the principles of that very open statement, you are respectful to past traditions and open to as well as tolerant of possibilities, that would be what we’ve been striving for. What I find is ironic is that when I started doing this thing with two horns and a drum, there were many folks saying, “You’re crazy, that’ll never work.” Thirty-five years later, the music speaks for itself in terms of all the wonderful artists that I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate and share and grow with.

M: You talk about development and change. Do you see this happening at the moment in America?

KEZ: I believe it is a moment of change on a very high level. The growth of this generation of youth, it is like everything happens at the time that it is necessary. So when I see this young person of African descent, I see him as being very well developed. I was teaching a class at Harvard when he was in law, and I’ve known him since he came back to Chicago, working as a councilman. But today, more than Barack, I think there’s a situation that is happening all over the planet. What community is better suited for a holistic coordination of ideas and concepts than the creative community? These cultural citizens are tolerant, passionate and committed. These creative personalities, and by this I don’t just mean artists, but people who think in an instinctive way from right to left rather than left to right, who use their emotions and mental capacities to feel and think a better way of living, it’s just time for that community, internationally, to come into fruition.

With the Kalmunity Vibe
Collective and DJ Andy Williams
at la Sala Rossa on Wednesday,
Feb. 13, 8 p.m., $15