Born to West Indian parents and raised on New York's Long Island, Kibwe began playing trumpet at the age of eight. After a brief encounter with the drums and a few years away from music, he took up the flute at 17, then saxophone. From 1971-1975, he attended New York University, earning a double major in Music and Psychology. During those years, he studied (as part of the city's Jazzmobile program) with saxophonists Frank Foster, Jimmy Heath, Billy Mitchell, and Ernie Wilkins. From 1977-1980, Kibwe toured with pianist Abdullah Ibrahim; in 1981, he moved to Paris, where he stayed until 1989. While in Europe, Kibwe formed the T.K. Odyssey, with which he recorded his first album, Egyptian Oasis (1986).
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