Kenyatta Emmanuel

Singer and songwriter

Singer and songwriter Kenyatta Emmanuel Hughes is an artist and activist who has shared his music from Sing Sing to Carnegie Hall, offering a full live concert the same day of his release after serving 24½ years in prison. During his incarceration, Kenyatta collaborated with other musicians in prison and out to impact the world musically, and he collaborated with engaged stakeholders inside and out to form initiatives like Voices From Within to address gun violence and serve the children of incarcerated parents. His music and message explore the beauty of life, love, and the human condition, reminding us of all that we hold in common.

Kenyatta Emmanuel is currently a teaching artist with Carnegie Hall’s Musical Connections program, an Artist in Residence for the Initiative for a Just Society at Columbia Law School, and a 2022 Galaxy Leaders Fellow.

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