Multi Instrumentalist and composer Stephen Kent is one of the premier Didgeridoo virtuosos in the contemporary world. Born in England, raised in East Africa, his musical career spans over 4 decades. Based at various times in Australia, the UK, Spain, San Francisco Bay Area, and Hawaii he has pioneered the modern day use of the ancient Australian Aboriginal instrument across multiple genres.
Performing in five continents, Stephen has worked with extraordinary musicians around the world. Collaborations include Herbie Hancock & Wayne Shorter, Airto Moreira, Zakir Hussain, Habib Koite, Rahim Al Haj, Steve Roach, Chirgilchin & Omar Sosa. His catalog of over 30 album releases spans 1988 to the present, including eight solo works, and multiple collaborations with group projects including Trance Mission, Lights in a Fat City, Baraka Moon and, most recently, The Sky is in Love With You.
Stephen increasingly works with New Classical music, especially the works of the great Australian composer, Peter Sculthorpe. Stephen has performed Sculthorpe with the BYU Philharmonic in Utah, recorded and performed with the Del Sol Quartet and toured the Pacific Northwest with the Delgani String Quartet. He is looking for new works to tackle in this genre as well as others!
In 1981 as Musical Director of Australia’s Circus Oz he was introduced to Didgeridoo and to Aboriginal culture. He launched his Didjeridu career full time in 1987. Stephen also worked with radio producing and hosting the popular “Music of the World” show on Pacifica Radio’s KPFA for over 26 years.
If you’re skeptical about being swept away by someone blowing through a hollowed out tree trunk you’re in for a big surprise!
– SF Weekly
Check back soon for a full listing of Stephen's upcoming shows.
I am celebrating the release of my brand new solo CD, The Painted Road – Stories for Solo Didjeridu and Percussion – just as I perform it live, with a minimum of tasteful ambient overdubs. This is the most direct and unfiltered recording I have made since I arrived in The Bay Area 24 years ago and went into the honeycomb caves of La Honda to record Songs From the Burnt Earth. It was a tremendous experience making The Painted Road with co-producer/engineer Alex Stahl, whom I last worked with in recording the first Trance Mission release in 1992/93. This new project delves deep into the subtle explorations and experiences of land and oceanic atmospheres I have been exploring since I was inspired to play the Didjeridu while living in Australia in the early 1980's.
GET YOUR PERSONALLY AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF
THE PAINTED ROAD
You may purchase The Painted Road at my concerts, or send $16.50 via PayPal to familytree@stephenkent.net.
You can find more of my music on Amazon.
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