Shabaka Hutchings

Shabaka Hutchings

Shabaka Hutchings is a London-born jazz musician, composer and bandleader, born in 1984. He records mainly as Shabaka and is of Barbadian heritage. His work is associated with jazz, ambient, indie and psychedelic music, and he is linked with Native Rebel Recordings.

Projects and groups

He leads Shabaka and the Ancestors and formerly leads Sons of Kemet, which dissolves in 2022. He is also a member of The Comet Is Coming, where he performs under the stage name King Shabaka. Other groups associated with him include 1000 Kings, Alexander Hawkins Mirror Canon, Jerry Dammers' Spatial A.K.A. Orchestra and Melt Yourself Down.

Collaborations and instruments

Hutchings plays saxophone and other wind instruments. He performs with or alongside the Sun Ra Arkestra, Andre 3000, Floating Points, Mulatu Astatke, Polar Bear, Heliocentrics, London Brew and Zed-U.