Kae Sun

Kae Sun is the stage name of Kwaku Darko-Mensah Jnr, a Ghanaian-born Canadian singer-songwriter, producer and artist.

Early life

Kwaku was born in Accra, his parents had resettled in Ghana after being based in Germany for several years. He immigrated to Canada to study Columbia International College and later attended McMaster University graduating with a degree in Multimedia and Philosophy. In Accra he attended Achimota School where he first started writing and performing music.

Career

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. 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.

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. The song Firefly Dance from this collection was a KCRW Top Tune of the day.

2013 - 2015: ''Afriyie''

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." 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.

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. The Roots affiliated site OkayAfrica also lauded ''Afriyie'' as one of the best releases of 2013.

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.

"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

2018 - Present : Whoever Comes Knocking

Kae Sun released his third LP Whoever Comes Knocking on March 2, 2018. The LP features the singles Stalk and Treehouse.

Discography

EPs

LPs

Compilation albums

Singles

* "Lion on a Leash" (iTunes) – 2009
* "Ship and the Globe" (iTunes) – 2012
* "When the Pot" (iTunes) - 2013
* "Canary" (iTunes) - 2016
* "Flip The Rules" (iTunes) - 2017
* "Stalk" (digital) - 2017
* "Treehouse" (digital) - 2018
* "Bright Lights" (digital) - 2021

Bibliography

Flood Season (Flipped Eye, 2021) ISBN 9781905233762

References

External links

*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kae Sun
Living people
21st-century Black Canadian male singers
Ghanaian emigrants to Canada
Ghanaian male singers
Musicians from Accra
Alumni of Achimota School
Canadian world music musicians
Canadian indie pop musicians
Alternative rock singers
Canadian experimental musicians
Canadian male singer-songwriters
Canadian singer-songwriters
Year of birth missing (living people)