ROBBI K & FRIENDS 50 word Blurb: (cut & paste)

Multiple Parents' Choice Award winner Robbi K’s beautiful voice has graced TV, radio, and live venues and she was a back-up singer for such superstars as Diana Ross, Jewel, and Aretha Franklin. Robbi K sings in many languages and presents interactive, danceable concerts suited for people of all ages and stages.
          or
Robbi K honed her chops singing backup for everyone from Harry Belafonte and Aretha Franklin to Jewel; now she’s groovin’ to jams from her award winning albums Keep the Beat and Music Makes Me Happy.


ROBBI K & FRIENDS Short Bio: (cut & paste)

Mulltiple Parents' Choice Award winner Robbi K’s beautiful voice has graced TV commercials for Coca Cola, Lincoln Mercury, GE and she was a back-up singer for superstars Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Jewel, Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, Mary J. Blige, and Harry Belafonte. Robbi K presents interactive concerts suited for dancing to jazz, pop, and world music grooves for today’s kids & parents. Her shows combine music, theater, and culture with a worldview to bring a sense of the world community to family audiences.  Robbi sings and speaks in many tongues with award winning CD’s that attest to the fact that children truly understand the meaning of culture and that our differences are opportunities for celebration.


ROBBI K & FRIENDS Long bio: (cut & paste)

Parents’ Choice Award-winning children’s musician Robbi K invites families to join her and her band of Friends in a rousing, interactive journey through many musical styles and songs! Robbi K is one of the few African American women to have achieved national recognition in the field of children’s music. Unlike many of today’s children's musicians, Robbi's background is not in rock, but rather is in jazz, pop, and world beat. For years she has maintained an active schedule as a back-up singer with such artists as Mary J. Blige, Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Jewel, Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, and Harry Belafonte among others. Her TV appearances with these artists include Oprah, 60 Minutes, Rosie, Regis & Kathie Lee, The View, VH-1 Storytellers, The Today Show, and Late Night with David Letterman. Robbi is married to Grammy-winning bassist Bakithi Kumalo, whose longstanding association with Paul Simon since Graceland is a story unto itself. Robbi K & Friends’ concerts showcase material from Robbi’s award-winning albums while also including a selection of other “Robbi favorites.” Backed by a four-member band, Robbi K will get silly (“Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy!”), get down (“Feel da’ Beat”), and get sweet (“Favorite Things”).   As always Robbi encourages the audience to open themselves to the sheer joy of music. What a great thing for a family to do!


THE KUMALO BAND Long blurb: (cut & paste)

The Kumalo Band delivers high-energy performances in many languages, making music the spiritual connection with the audiences and send a powerful message of togetherness for people of all races, ages, and abilities.

A native of Soweto Township outside Johannesburg, South Africa, 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 bass sound that sounds like human voices and the African grooves of his homeland and has garnered him a stellar reputation as a musician. In addition to touring with Paul Simon, he's also recorded and/or toured with the likes of Gloria Estefan, Herbie Hancock, Chaka Khan, Harry Belafonte, Eileen Ivers, Grover Washington Jr., Gerald Albright, Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, Josh Groban, Paul Winters, Jay Beckenstein of Spyrogyra and Chris Botti.  Bakithi's newest CD and 6th solo recording, Change, is recieving rave reviews.

Robbi K's powerful lyric soprano has graced TV commercials for the likes of Coca Cola, Lincoln Mercury, and GE, while also establishing an active career as a back-up singer for such superstars as Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Jewel, Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, Ashford & Simpson, Daniel Rodriquez, Mary J. Blige, and Harry Belafonte. For years, she has been a major force in bringing a sense of the world community to children's musical theater. Robbi sings and speaks English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian. Robbi is
married to Grammy-winning bassist Bakithi Kumalo, and this duo moves easily among the jazz, pop, blues and world music, creating a new kind of artistic presentation, which successfully combines music, theater, and culture fused with traditional South African song and contemporary jazz. Robbi K has released three children's CDs: Set It Free, Keep the Beat and Music Makes Me Happy - each honored with a Parents' Choice Award.

Visit Bakithi online at www.BoneInTheNose.com and Robbi K at www.HiRobbi.com.