Dayan Kai

Dayan Kai is a classically trained multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter, vocalist, and producer with a lifelong dedication to music. Equally versed in jazz, blues, Americana, bluegrass, world, reggae, folk and rock traditions, Kai’s compositions reflect his vast experience in the industry as both a soloist and versatile accompanist.

Dayan Kai currently lives on the island of Maui and tours on the mainland several times a year.

Training
Formally trained since the age of two, Dayan studied under World Music composer Lou Harrison, Latin percussionist Michael Strunk, jazz trumpeter/arranger Ray Brown and mandolin master David Grisman. Dayan is also a versatile accompanist and works with numerous notable artists from around the world in many genres.

Dayan’s Work
Dayan has self-produced and released seven solo albums including "To Be Free," “Resonate,” "Treat A Stranger Right," "Livin' Like A Rat Again," "The First Twelve Years," "All Kai," "Songs of Sunday", as well as two albums with his former band Water, "Scrape the Sun" and "Look out the Window". In 2010, he recorded the duo album “Make It Rain” with frequent collaborator Keith Greeninger. Dayan also contributed his talents on a multitude of albums in the folk, jazz & world genres.

Performance Highlights
Dayan has played at many notable festivals, including the Sister's Folk Festival (Sisters OR), Kate Wolf Memorial Festival (Laytonville, CA), Cobargo Folk Festival (NSW, Australia), the Blue Mountains Festival (NSW, Australia), Yackandandah Folk Festival (NSW, Australia), Folklife Festival and Bummershoot Festival (Seattle, WA), American River Music Festival (Lotus, CA), Strawberry Music Festival (Groveland, CA), High Sierra Festival (Quincy, CA), Art on the Green (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho), Sandpoint Music Festival (Sandpoint, ID), and Summerfest (Milwaukee, WI) and many, many more.

Multi-Instrumentalist
A partial list of instruments Dayan plays includes keyboards (piano, organ, accordion), guitars (Spanish classical, six- and 12-string acoustic, electric, and resophonic), other strings (charango, ukulele, bass, 4- and 5-string banjo, mandolin, and fiddle), the single-reed woodwind family and flutes from around the world, trumpet and trombone, conchas, and percussion (trap kit and hand drums [cajon, pandero, doumbec, tabla, and congas]).