Kamau Kenyatta facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kamau Kenyatta
Kenyatta in 2014
Background information
Born	(1955-06-27) June 27, 1955 (age 70) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Genres	Jazz R&B
Occupation(s)	Musician record producer arranger film composer jazz educator
Instruments	Piano, soprano sax
Years active	1972–present

Kamau Kenyatta (born June 27, 1955) is a very talented American musician, record producer, and teacher. He has won several Grammy Awards for his amazing work in music. He is also a film composer, which means he creates music for movies. Today, he teaches at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).

Kamau Kenyatta's Life and Music

Kamau Kenyatta was born in Detroit, Michigan. He has worked with many famous musicians. One of his most important collaborations is with the singer Gregory Porter.

Working with Gregory Porter

Kamau Kenyatta produced Gregory Porter's first album, Water, which came out in 2010. This album was nominated for a Grammy Award!

In 2013, Kamau Kenyatta helped produce and arrange another one of Gregory Porter's albums called Liquid Spirit. This album was a huge success. In February 2014, Liquid Spirit won a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album.

Kamau Kenyatta continued to work with Gregory Porter. In 2016, he produced Porter's album Take Me to the Alley. This album also won a Grammy Award in February 2017 for Best Jazz Vocal Album.

Other Music Projects

Besides Gregory Porter, Kamau Kenyatta has produced music for many other artists. These include Ed Motta, Steph Johnson, Daneen Wilburn, Alicia Olatuja, Paulette McWilliams, and Allan Harris. He helped create their albums, making sure they sounded great.

Music for Movies

Kamau Kenyatta also creates music for films. This is called film composing.

• In 1997, he worked with Hubert Laws to create the music for a documentary called Small Steps, Big Strides. This film was about the history of African-American movies.
• He also composed the music for The Dawn at My Back by Carroll Parrott Blue. This interactive story won an award at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival.
• In 2015, he scored the film Spirits of Rebellion.
• After the success of Liquid Spirit, Kamau Kenyatta composed the music for Gregory Porter's movie Don't Forget Your Music in 2016. He later released this music as his own project called The Elegant Sadness.

Teaching Music

Since 1999, Kamau Kenyatta has been a teacher at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He shares his knowledge and passion for music with students.

Kamau Kenyatta's Albums

Kamau Kenyatta has also released his own music albums:

• Destiny (2007)
• The Elegant Sadness (2019)

Awards and Recognitions

Kamau Kenyatta has received important awards for his work.

Teaching Awards

Grammy Awards