San Diego Reader

Kamau Kenyatta: Keyboards, Saxophone

Genre: Alternative, Jazz, Noise | Xprmntl

Sound description: Experimental jazz

RIYL: Hubert Laws, Earl Klugh, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea

Upcoming Local Shows

• 98 Bottles — Friday, May 24, 8pm

Related Links

• Kamau Kenyatta website

• "Kamau Kenyatta at The Loft" · Jan. 23, 2013

Synoposis

Inception: San Diego, 2000

Current Status: Lecturing at the University Of California San Diego and occasionally performing.

Influences: Steve Lacy, Wayne Shorter

Background:

As of 2009, pianist and saxophonist Kamau Kenyatta is a lecturer in the University of California's Jazz Studies Department.

Originally from Detroit, his versatility comes from his early exposure to a vast array of musical styles. Kamau has worked with jazz greats such as Hubert Laws, Earl Klugh, and Donald Byrd. World tours have taken him to over 20 countries and included stints with Donald Byrd, Carl Anderson, and the Supremes.

Kamau has also collaborated with Hubert Laws in writing the score for Small Steps, Big Strides a Fox network documentary concerning the history of African-American film. He has also written and supervised music for The Dawn at My Back, a Sundance Film Festival award-winning interactive DVD-ROM memoir.

His project "Celebrating Neruda," intertwines dance, Latin American music, and the poetry of the Chilean genius, Pablo Neruda. His album Destiny was released in 2007.

Discography