Wikipedia

Draft:Camara Kambon

  • Comment: Sources are not cited for some statements. Where does this information come from? For articles about living people, everything must be cited (according to WP:BLP). Suitskvarts (talk) 15:56, 1 February 2024 (UTC)
  • Comment: None of the cited sources represents significant coverage; all are just IMDb listings, or articles about other artists that may (or may not) mention Kambon. WikiDan61ChatMe!ReadMe!! 20:08, 30 January 2024 (UTC)


Camara Kambon (born February 4, 1973) is an American film composer, songwriter, pianist, music producer and educator. He is known for his collaborations with Dr. Dre on Chronic 2001,[1][2][3] Eminem’s The Slim Shady LP and The Marshall Mathers LP.[4] He co-wrote Mary J. Blige’s song Family Affair,[5][6] composed the theme for the Mara Brock Akil produced CW sitcom, Girlfriends, and the score for the DreamWorks’ feature film, Biker Boyz.[7][8] Kambon has received an Emmy Award, two Emmy nominations, three Grammy nominations, a BMI Pop Award and a BMI Film/TV Award.[9][10][11]

Biography edit

Camara Kambon
 
Born (1973-02-04) February 4, 1973 (age 51)
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
EducationBerklee College of Music
Atlantic University
Occupation(s)Composer, Pianist, Music Producer, Educator
Years active1993–present
Websitecamarakambon.com.

Camara Kambon grew up in northwest Baltimore, Maryland. He was considered a musical prodigy from an early age, and his talent was featured in the Baltimore Afro-American and The Baltimore Sun newspapers.[12][13] His mother first noticed his attraction to music when, at 10 months, he began rhythmically tapping on his highchair. He began taking drum lessons at age two and piano lessons at four. By age six, he began writing original compositions.[14] At age 10, Kambon was awarded the Jacques Kahn scholarship to attend the Peabody Preparatory School of the Johns Hopkins University, to study jazz, classical piano, and musicianship.[14][15] At 14, he was awarded the Eubie Blake scholarship and performed with jazz legend trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie at Blues Alley in Washington, D.C.[16][17] It was during this same year he encountered composer and longtime Bill Cosby collaborator, Stu Gardner, who inspired an interest in composing for TV and film.[18]

In the fall of 1991, Kambon received the Jesse Stone scholarship to attend the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he majored in film scoring and music production & engineering. While there, he composed his first score for the Emmy-nominated film, Dancing: New Worlds New Forms, produced by award-winning documentary filmmaker Orlando Bagwell.[19] At 19, he also composed music for a second Orlando Bagwell film, the PBS Emmy Award winning feature length documentary, Malcolm X: Make it Plain.[16][20][21] In 1995, Kambon premiered his commissioned piece, Korikabaya, with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.[14][12]

After graduating from Berklee in 1995, Kambon moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a composer. A year later, then 23, Kambon became the youngest composer to receive a national Emmy award, for the Kirby Bradley produced HBO film Sonny Liston: The Mysterious Life and Death of a Champion.[22][23] In that same year, Kambon was hired to work with rapper and record producer Dr. Dre as his keyboardist, music director and orchestrator in residence for all recordings of his newly formed company, Aftermath Entertainment.[24] He performed on Dr. Dre hits Forgot About Dre and The Next Episode drawing on his classical background, which influenced the usage of strings and other orchestral instruments in this signature sound;[1][2][3] Eminem’s My Name Is and Guilty Conscious; Snoop Dogg’s B**** Please; and co-wrote Mary J. Blige’s Family Affair, the singer’s first song to top the Billboard Hot 100.[6] In 1997 Kambon was selected as a fellow in the Sundance Institute Composer’s Lab.[25] In early 2001, Kambon was hired as A&R/Producer-in-Residence by Virgin Records, working with artists including Aaliyah and Nikka Costa. He produced songs for DreamWorks artists, Kina and Jessy Moss. Kambon also recorded, wrote and/or arranged songs for artists, including 50-Cent, Nas, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, George Michael, Nine Inch Nails, Gwen Stefani, Xzibit, N.W.A., Warren G, Mack-10, and D12.[26]

Kambon's career as a film composer spans over more than three decades, making him one of the most notable black composers in American film and television.[27][28] He has made significant contributions to several critically acclaimed historical, political and sports-related documentaries and feature films, and worked with award-winning directors and producers, including Oliver Stone, Tyler Perry, Mara Brock-Akil, F. Gary Gray, John Singleton, Reggie Rock Bythewood, Rick Famuyima, LeVar Burton and Macky Alston.[29] In an interview in 2008, Kambon described that the common language between composers and directors is emotion, and his commitment to musical storytelling that resonates on a deeply emotional level, enhancing the cinematic narrative, is continuously showcased in his work.[30]

In 2010 Kambon took a break from music to earn a master’s degree in transpersonal psychology from Atlantic University, connecting more deeply with an understanding of spirituality and meaning-making through creativity.[31] The following years, Kambon focused on educating youth and up-and-coming composers and music producers. In addition to his work as a composer and educator, Kambon regularly performs live as a jazz pianist.[32]

Kambon is currently composing the score for Acts of Reparation, his fourth collaboration with director Macky Alston, co-directed with fellow producer Selina Davidson Lewis.[33]

Filmography edit

Film edit

Television edit

Awards and nominations edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Bozza, Anthony (1999-12-09). "Dr. Dre". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  2. ^ a b "How Dr. Dre's 'Still D.R.E.' Ushered In A New Millennium Of Radio Rap". UPROXX. 2023-06-12. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  3. ^ a b "Why Dr Dre's 2001 holds up as a hip-hop classic, 20 years on". Red Bull. 2021-08-11. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  4. ^ "Camara Kambon Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  5. ^ Benitez-Eves, Tina (2022-10-05). "5 Songs You Didn't Know Dr. Dre Wrote for Other Artists". American Songwriter. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  6. ^ a b "Mary J. Blige - Family Affair | TheAudioDB.com". www.theaudiodb.com. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  7. ^ a b "Historical Dictionary Of African American Cinema (historical Dictionaries Of Literature And The Arts) [PDF] [5phbkbd7os20]". vdoc.pub. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  8. ^ a b Koehler, Robert (2003-01-29). "Biker Boyz". Variety. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g "Alumni All-Stars in the Field of Music Production and Engineering | Berklee College of Music". college.berklee.edu. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  10. ^ a b "2003 BMI Pop Awards: Song List". BMI.com. 2003-05-13. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  11. ^ a b Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 1997-05-24.
  12. ^ a b "The HistoryMakers video oral history with Camara Kambon". libcat.simmons.edu. 2016. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  13. ^ a b "Camara Kambon with Javier Vergara". Namba Arts. 2022-07-29. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  14. ^ a b c "Johns Hopkins Magazine - June 1996 Issue". pages.jh.edu. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  15. ^ "About the Preparatory | Peabody Institute". Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  16. ^ a b c d Mfume, Kwesi (May 18, 1995). "TRIBUTE TO CAMARA KAMBON" (PDF). EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS. p. 13676. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  17. ^ "The Baltimore Sun from Baltimore, Maryland". Newspapers.com. 1987-08-11. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  18. ^ a b Burlingame, Jon (2023). Music for Prime Time: A History of American Television Themes and Scoring. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-061830-8.
  19. ^ a b "Dancing : new worlds, new forms | WorldCat.org". search.worldcat.org. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  20. ^ "MALCOLM X: MAKE IT PLAIN". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  21. ^ "Malcolm X: Make it Plain | American Experience | PBS". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  22. ^ a b "PBS | The Fillmore: Filmmakers". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  23. ^ a b Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 1997-07-19.
  24. ^ Burlingame, Jon (1999-01-22). "Scoring lab matches mentors, neophytes". Variety. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  25. ^ Burlingame, Jon (2002-01-09). "Lab strikes chord with emerging composers". Variety. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  26. ^ "Camara Kambon - Works - MusicBrainz". musicbrainz.org. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  27. ^ "The Black Composer in Films - John Caps reviews the history of Black Film Composers". www.mfiles.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  28. ^ "The premiere of a cinematic tribute to black composers". The Seattle Times. 2005-02-18. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  29. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Kambon, Camara | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  30. ^ "Composers Confab: Creating The Best Score For Your Film | International Documentary Association". www.documentary.org. 2008-07-01. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  31. ^ "SongNet – The Songwriters Network". Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  32. ^ Simmons, Tony. "Gulf Jazz Society hosts Emmy-winning pianist". Panama City News Herald. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  33. ^ a b "Our Team". Acts of Reparation. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  34. ^ Pinsker, Beth (2003-01-15). "Tracing the path from workshop to bigscreen". Variety. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  35. ^ a b "BMI and Cal State Fullerton Celebrate Musical Anniversary". BMI.com. 2008-03-20. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  36. ^ Dufresne, Emily. "Archive: Alumni Notes | Berklee College of Music". college.berklee.edu. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  37. ^ "Newsletters Archives - Page 3 of 5". The Walden School. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  38. ^ Gallo, Phil (2002-11-11). "O.J.: A Study in Black and White". Variety. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  39. ^ "Matters of Race. Filmmakers | PBS". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  40. ^ "This Far by Faith . Episode 1 | PBS". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  41. ^ "Citizen King | American Experience | PBS". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  42. ^ Dufresne, Emily. "Alum Notes | Berklee College of Music". college.berklee.edu. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  43. ^ "Now En Español". bradleydujmovic.com. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  44. ^ "30 for 30 - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Draft:Camara_Kambon&oldid=1220889499"