Kenna

Kenna Zemedkun was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 1978. He spent his early childhood there, raised by his grandfather, before reuniting with his parents in Cincinnati, Ohio, at the age of three. He later grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he developed an interest in music, inspired by U2’s “The Joshua Tree.” This led him to teach himself piano and study a diverse range of artists. His musical journey began formally with the release of his first single, “Hell Bent,” in 2001. After navigating numerous record label changes and delays, his debut album, “New Sacred Cow,” co-produced by Chad Hugo of The Neptunes, was released in 2003 under Columbia Records. The album featured elements of electronica, synthpop, post-rock, and house music, with singles like “Freetime” reaching #19 on the U.S. Dance charts. He embarked on a North American tour with Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode in 2003. Kenna’s early career challenges and the reception of his music were highlighted by Canadian journalist Malcolm Gladwell in his book “Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking.”

Kenna’s career diversified beyond music into philanthropy and technology. In 2010, he launched the Summit on the Summit project, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with notable figures like Lupe Fiasco and Jessica Biel to raise awareness for the global clean water crisis. A documentary on this initiative aired on MTV, and proceeds from his song “Turn” supported the project. In the technology sector, Kenna served as Chief Vision Officer for Myspace, collaborating with Justin Timberlake to re-imagine the social network before its acquisition by Time Inc. His strategic development company, Translator, produced a successful outdoor concert at South by Southwest in 2012, drawing 12,000 attendees and 1.3 million livestream views. Kenna’s track “Say Goodbye to Love” was nominated for Best Urban/Alternative Performance at the 2009 Grammy Awards, a significant milestone in his musical endeavors.