Kae Sun | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kwaku Darko-Mensah Jr. |
| Born | Accra, Ghana |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Website | www |
Kae Sun is the stage name of Kwaku Darko-Mensah Jr., a Ghanaian-born Canadian singer-songwriter, producer and artist.
Kwaku was born in Accra, his parents had resettled in Ghana after being based in Germany for several years. [2] He immigrated to Canada to study Columbia International College and later attended McMaster University graduating with a degree in Multimedia and Philosophy. [3] In Accra he attended Achimota School where he first started writing and performing music. [3]
While attending university, Kwaku started using the stage name Kae Sun, performing at local clubs and making demo recordings. He also started playing guitar and experimenting with different styles and sounds. [3] He first gained some recognition when he was awarded a local music prize.
Kae Sun recorded and released his debut Lion on a Leash in 2009 largely funded by a grant from the Ontario Arts Council. He soon after re-located to Toronto, Ontario. Lion On A Leash was well received among critics, garnering further recognition for Kae Sun. [4] [5]
Kwaku followed up his debut with the EP Outside The Barcode, a folky, pared-down collection of songs inspired by his return to Ghana after years of living in Canada. [6] The song Firefly Dance from this collection was a KCRW Top Tune of the day. [7]
Kae Sun's second LP Afriyie was released in May 2013 and was co-produced by Kae Sun and production duo Science! (Joshua Sadlier-Brown and Marc Koecher). The record received favourable reviews from publications like exclaim and Afropunk. An MTV Iggy profile of the record said, " With Afriyie, Kae Sun has managed to emerge as one of the most promising singer-songwriters in the international scene." [8] The tour for Afriyie included a set at the inaugural CBC music festival, support for the Toronto stop of Janelle Monáe's Electric Lady Tour and solo engagements in Germany. [2]
The song "Heart Healing Pulse" from Afriyie was included in the Strumbo Hundo 2013, television personality George Stroumboulopoulos's list of the top songs of that year. [9] The Roots affiliated site OkayAfrica also lauded Afriyie as one of the best releases of 2013. [10]
In April 2014, Kae Sun made his U.S debut at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, as part of the theatre's Africa Now Festival. [11]
"Ship and The Globe", the lead single from Afriyie is featured in several episodes of It's Okay, That's Love . The song debuted at number 3 on the South Korea Gaon International Chart
Kae Sun has released a collaborative multimedia project featuring a short film and installation with art director Emeka Alams and German filmmaker Simon Rittmeier. The project included a 4-song E.P. released digitally [12] [13]
Kae Sun released his third LP Whoever Comes Knocking on March 2, 2018. The LP features the singles Stalk and Treehouse. [14] [15]
| Year | EP details |
|---|---|
| 2007 | Ghost Town Prophecy
|
| 2011 | Outside the Barcode
|
| 2015 | Oceans Apart
|
| 2017 | Canary
|
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 2009 | Lion on a Leash
|
| 2013 | Afriyie
|
| 2018 | Whoever Comes Knocking
|
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 2014 | Ship and The Globe (Special Edition)
Asia only |
Flood Season (Flipped Eye, 2021) ISBN 9781905233762
Erica Abi Wright, known professionally as Erykah Badu, is an American singer and songwriter. Influenced by R&B, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the late 1990s when her debut album Baduizm (1997), placed her at the forefront of the neo soul movement, earning her the nickname "Queen of Neo Soul" by music critics.
Ahmir K. Thompson, known professionally as Questlove, is an American musician, drummer, record producer, disc jockey, filmmaker, music journalist, and actor. He is the drummer and joint frontman for the hip hop band the Roots. The Roots have been serving as the in-house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon since 2014, after having fulfilled the same role on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Questlove is also one of the producers of the cast album of the Broadway musical Hamilton. He is the co-founder of the websites Okayplayer and OkayAfrica. He is also known for the podcast Questlove Supreme. Additionally, he is an adjunct professor at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University.
Damien Beebe, known professionally as DJ Day is a DJ, producer and musician from Palm Springs, California. He formed the Innernational Crew with DJ Rip One in 1995, and had subsequent appearances with Innernational on Return of the DJ III & Laid in Full. He has worked with Stones Throw recording artists Aloe Blacc and Clutchy Hopkins, as well as remixes for Quantic, Alice Russell, People Under The Stairs and more.
Serena Lauren Ryder is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Born in Toronto, she grew up in Millbrook, Ontario. Ryder first gained national recognition with her ballad "Weak in the Knees" in 2007 and has released eight studio albums.
Band of Skulls are an English rock band from Southampton, consisting of Russell Marsden ; Emma Richardson and Matt Hayward were previously members. The group formed after meeting in college, although Marsden and Hayward have been friends since high school. Band of Skulls have released five studio albums, their most recent being Love Is All You Love in April 2019.
Family of the Year is an American indie rock band based in Los Angeles, California. It consists of members Joseph Keefe (vocals/guitar), Sebastian Keefe (drums/vocals), James Buckey (guitar/vocals), and Christina Schroeter (keyboard/vocals). Their music uses melodic male/female vocal harmonies and folktale-style lyrics. They are best known for their 2012 song "Hero", which was featured in Richard Linklater's 2014 film Boyhood and became a top 10 hit in Austria, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland.
Angelique Frances Meunier, known professionally as Havana Brown or DJ Havana Brown, is an Australian DJ, singer, songwriter, record producer, and dancer. In 2008, Brown signed with Island Records Australia as a DJ for the record company and began releasing her Crave compilation album series, which featured remixes of songs from other artists. This led to her touring with international artists, including Britney Spears, Rihanna, the Pussycat Dolls, Chris Brown, and Enrique Iglesias.
Christina Kim Ingrid Asplund, better known as Kissey, is a singer, songwriter, music producer, artist, and performer from Stockholm, Sweden.
Afriyie is the second studio album by Ghanaian/Canadian singer-songwriter Kae Sun. It was released on May 28, 2013.
Tiny Hearts is an American trip-hop/electronic music trio formed in 2011 from Detroit. Tiny Hearts is composed of producer Waajeed, producer/composer Tim K and vocalist Deanne Reynolds of DEDE.
Stanley Ebai Enow is a Cameroonian rapper, and music producer. He is the co-owner of the record label, Motherland Empire. Enow is best known for his 2013 single "Hein Père". He was the first Cameroonian to win in the Best New Act category at the 2014 MTV Africa Music Awards.
Refiloe Maele Phoolo, professionally known as Cassper Nyovest, is a South African rapper, songwriter, entrepreneur, record producer and amateur boxer. Born and raised in Mahikeng, North West, he is regarded as one of the most successful artists in South Africa. In 2014, he established his own record label, Family Tree Records. Nyovest rose to fame with the release of his debut studio album, Tsholofelo (2014) which produced the hit singles "Gusheshe" and "Doc Shebeleza".
"Be Okay" is a song written and produced by Mitchy Collins, Danielle Bouchard, Christian Medice, Phoebe Ryan, Denis Lipari, and Larzz Principato and recorded by indie pop band Oh Honey. It was re-released in March 2014 as a part of the band's EP With Love (2014).
Uhuru were a South African musical group best known for producing the hit single "Khona" performed by Mafikizolo. Signed to Kalawa Jazmee, the band consisted of Nqobile Mahlanu (Mapiano), Sihle Dlalisisa, Xelimpilo Simelane (Xeli) and Themba Sekowe. Independently, Uhuru is best known for hit remixes like "Y-tjukutja" and "The Sound".
Nsikayesizwe David Junior Ngcobo, known professionally as Nasty C, is a South African rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is considered as one of the best rappers in Africa.
Shan Vincent de Paul (SVDP) is a Tamil Canadian recording artist and director from Toronto, Ontario. Paul released his debut album "Saviors" in 2016 and his second album "Trigger Happy Heartbreak" along with an EP "SVDP 1" in 2017.
VanJess was a Nigerian-American R&B duo composed of sisters Ivana and Jessica Nwokike. The duo began their career on YouTube performing cover songs. After one of their videos, a cover of Drake's "Headlines", had viral success, they decided to pursue a serious career in music. In 2011 the duo hired a manager and recorded in a studio for the first time. On 12 November 2018, the group announced that they had signed to the RCA joint venture label Keep Cool. Thus far in their career, VanJess has released one studio album, Silk Canvas, and one EP, Homegrown.
The discography of American singer Mayer Hawthorne consists of ten studio albums, five EPs, a live album, fifteen singles and seventeen guest appearances.
Ama Serwah Genfi, known professionally as Amaarae, is a Ghanaian-American singer-songwriter. She is known for her fusion of pop, R&B, afrobeats, and alté, as well as her fluid representation of gender and sexuality. After collaborating with local artists and putting out a few non-album singles, she released her debut EP, Passionfruit Summers, in 2017.
Kabelo Petrus Motha is a South African DJ and record producer, popularly known as Kabza De Small. He is a major figure in the amapiano genre of house music. Aside from his solo career, Motha is a member of the Scorpion Kings. Motha gained international recognition after the release of "Umshove", in 2018.
Media related to Kae Sun at Wikimedia Commons
| Authority control databases: Artists |
|---|
