KAE SUN
Kae Sun is a truly unique artist and songwriter in his generation. An unquenchingly diverse musician with an uplifting repertoire. Whether singing or rapping, Kae Sun communicates honesty and realism through a raw, inspired and soulful vocal style coupled with progressive and politically charged lyricism. As stated in Echo Weekly, Kae Sun "abandons bling for brains, as his words both embrace and transcend the human condition." Over the past few years, in collaboration with several musicians and bands, Kae Sun has initiated a sound deeply rooted within but not restricted to the traditions of reggae, soul, funk, gospel and hip-hop music.
Born in Accra, Ghana, Kae Sun recalls being surrounded by an array of musical styles both traditional and imported as a child. Kae Sun began singing, rapping, song writing and guitar playing as a teenager, resulting in years of experimentation with local styles like Ghanaian Hiplife, as well as international imports like North American soul and hip-hop. Moreover, the local church served not only as a moral school, but also a musical playground for Kae Sun's upbringing, where each instrument opened up a door for unlimited artistic and spiritual expression. At 18, Kae Sun moved to Canada to pursue a degree in philsophy and multimedia at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. A typical academic education was converted into a personal musical and spiritual journey, influenced by the varying musical tastes of fellow students, a colossal reading appetite and a propensity to go against the grain. These University years produced two records, the solo EP Travelling and the more collaborative LP Soliloquy, recorded with locally renowned engineer Jordan Abraham, all before graduation.
Soliloquy released in January, 2006 under Toronto based Life Records Entertainment debuted to a sold out audience in Hamilton on January 2006. The album was locally recorded and featured fellow students as guest musicians. Subsequently, Soliloquy garnered heavy underground and local recognition leading to favourable press coverage, a tour of southern Ontario and heavy rotation on college radio including charting with McMaster's CFMU. Furthermore, the album garnered attention as far as Memphis, Tennessee and Amsterdam, including a request to have "Kidnapped" and "Stay Up" featured in an independent movie in Austria. "Stay Up" has also been featured on Pulse Radio in London, UK. Kae Sun has also been featured as the cover story with both Hamilton's VIEW Magazine and Kitchener/Waterloo's ECHO Weekly, and he received acclaimed press in the Hamilton Spectator, McMaster Silhouette, London Free Press, MonkeyBiz and Music in Ghana. Also,Kae Sun's Soliloquy received a Hamilton Music Award for Hip-Hop Recording of the Year in 2006. Kae Sun has shared the stage with Jackie Richardson, DK Ibomeka, Shad K, K-os, Bob Egan of Blue Rodeo, Vanderpark and many other Canadian bands and musicians from across the genre map.
Live, Kae Sun is a force. Each stage performance, whether performing alone, with an acoustic act or full band, is a spiritual journey encompassing the best of the secular and sacred paradigms at once. Kae Sun's music is heartfelt, thoughtful, incisive and critical without being exhaustively didactic. Whether rhyming or singing, Kae Sun reminds you that while there is eternal beauty among us, there is always work to be done to make things better for everyone. A true testament of the engagingly personal culture of Western Africa, Kae Sun is the perfect blend of old and new, foreign and familiar, groove and soul.
Press Quotes:
"Soulful, socially conscious Canadian hip-hop has a new name to champion. And since K-os and K'Naan have proven the success of the letter K, it won't be too difficult to embrace Kae Sun -- especially since he sounds so good." – *Lori Mastronardi, London Free Press.*
"His new album, Soliloquy, also lives in two worlds, so to speak, combining the rhythms of hip-hop with live instrumentation. The songs combine the western and the African, the gospel and the secular, the social and the spiritual." – *James Tennant, Hamilton Spectator*
"Lyrically and musically, Kae Sun's expression is for the most part competent and cosmopolitan, melodic and mature, and even at times as inspiring as it is inspired, casting aside the boasting that permeates pop hip hop and delving into his own musical roots from the classics." - *Ric Taylor, View Magazine, Hamilton*
"While combining traditional African rhythms, the characteristic boom bap sound of hip hop, and spirit cleansing soul, Kae comments on social issues and provides a much needed dose of spiritual emancipation. He abandons bling for brains, and his words both embrace and transcend the human condition." *Denise de la Frenier - Echo Weekly
Myspace: mypsace.com/kaesun
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