Gorinto Productions is proud to present Ethnic Heritage Ensemble live in State College on Monday, February 16, featuring legendary percussionist, composer, and cultural architect Kahil El’Zabar. The performance takes place at Manny’s Live Performance Space, offering an all-ages experience that continues the venue’s mission of bringing boundary-pushing, globally rooted music to Central Pennsylvania.

Founded in Chicago in the mid-1970s, Ethnic Heritage Ensemble stands as one of the most vital and enduring groups to emerge from the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) movement. Led by Kahil El’Zabar—an internationally respected artist whose work spans jazz, Afro-centric spiritual music, spoken word, theater, and activism—the ensemble has remained fiercely committed to music as a vehicle for cultural memory, resistance, and collective healing.

El’Zabar’s career includes collaborations with artists such as Pharoah Sanders, Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, and Dizzy Gillespie, as well as leadership roles that have shaped generations of creative musicians. As a bandleader, educator, and cultural advocate, his influence reaches far beyond the stage, making this performance a rare opportunity to experience a living lineage of Black creative music in an intimate setting.

Ethnic Heritage Ensemble’s performance promises an evening of powerful rhythms, open improvisation, and spiritual intensity—an essential moment for jazz listeners, cultural explorers, and anyone interested in music as a force for connection and transformation.

Event Details: 

• Ethnic Heritage Ensemble featuring Kahil El’Zabar 
• Monday, February 16, 2026
• Manny’s Live Performance Space - 101 Hiester Street, State College, PA 16801 
• Doors at 7PM | All Ages

For tickets and additional information, visit www.mannysstatecollege.com