Who is Kyonté?

Well at his core, he is a singer, songwriter and producer from the DMV but above that he is widely believed to be the next big thing from the DMV on the national scene. He believes in making good music and sharing his experiences. He began singing at the age of three and by the age of ten, he was able to play the piano and compose melodies that captured attention of many people. As a teenager, Kyonté was already performing at church, weddings and other events. He lists legendary artists like Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Prince, Bootsy Collins, Parliament, Donny Hathaway and more as his music influences.

Kyonté’s passion for making good music lead him to pursing a full time career as an artist in 2004. He’s performed at a variety of venues in the DMV such as Cada Vez, Bar-Nun, Bohemian Caverns, MCCXXIII (1223), the Arts Bank (Uarts), Pontiac Grille, Afr’Am Fest, and Layla Lounge. Not to mention his remarkable sold out performances at Blues Alley Jazz Supper Club in Washington (2008) and at the Carter Barron Amphitheater with R&B artists Kenny Lattimore and Ledisi. (2009). Not only is Kyonté classically trained in singing, but he also performs in several languages including German, Spanish and Italian. He actually performed at a venue in Italy a few years ago.

In addition to singing and songwriting, Kyonté is also a phenomenal producer. In 2007, he co-produced the Grammy-nominated single “Woman” by singer Raheem DeVaughn, co-wrote and co-produced “Lights Go Out” for rapper Foxy Brown (Koch Records), co-produced “Hearts Desire” for Brent Jones (EMI Gospel), and co-wrote “Everything Changes” and “Trippin” by Grammy Nominated R&B Recording Artist Ledisi. With his passion and dedication to music, Kyonté has been recognized by many. In 2009, he won DMV’s Entertainer of the Year, DMV’s Artist Most Likely To Succeed and DMV’s Best Recording for “Body Shop”. Moreover, Kyonté was a Velocity Magazine Award Winner for Best New Artist, Best R&B Male Artist, and Best R&B Album (Body Shop).

Kyonté’s success has pushed him to work even harder. This year, “you can expect a lot of music and production” says Kyonté in an interview with DMV Unplugged. He is apart of the Metropolitan Muse Concert Series which he believes “will have a positive impact on the DMV music movement because it recognizes that talent his here [in the DMV] and we are the best”. His upcoming debut album 831: Vol. 1 will be digitally released on February 23, 2010. In addition, there will be a special CD release show at Blues Alley in Washington, DC at 8PM on the night of the release. 831 stands for “eight letters, three words and one meaning, I love you”. The album is composed of songs about love, relationships and change. Kyonté mentioned he produced most of the album and has special appearances by DMV’s own Phil Ade and D.C. Don Juan.

In the meantime, Kyonté is looking forward to attending this year’s 52 Annual Grammy Awards. Listen to Kyonté on
DMVUnplugged.com with his two new singles and check out his video for Body Shop.

DMV Unplugged will be giving you new ways to follow your favorite local artists very soon. To listen to songs from Kyonté check out:

Kyonté – Tonight
Kyonté – Body Shop (video)