Kabeção: The vibrant soul of the Portuguese handpan

Have you heard of the musician Kabeção? Have you ever seen or heard him perform one of his stunning original pieces on his favorite percussion instrument, the handpan? Are you wondering how this Portuguese artist became a well-known hang drum player? What’s Kabeção’s story?

I discovered Kabeção in 2015, when he made it to the finals of “Got Talent Portugal.” I was immediately drawn to his work as a musician, and I’ve been following his creative output ever since through social media. That makes it easy for me to give you a quick portrait of this brilliant instrumentalist who shook up the music scene in his home country and helped introduce the handpan to all of Portugal.

By reading this article in detail, you will learn about:

• The biography of handpan player Kabeção
  
• The best tracks he has produced over the years

This will give you a clear sense of this artist’s world and everything you need to know about him. You may even feel a connection with Kabeção, his music, and his one-of-a-kind style.

Now, let’s take a look at the highlights of Kabeção’s life.

What is the biography of Kabeção, the excellent handpan player?

Known for the melodies he crafts on the handpan, Kabeção—whose real name is Carlos Rodrigues—is a multi-instrumentalist born on September 8, 1989, in Lisbon, Portugal. He became interested in various percussion and string instruments at a very young age and is largely self-taught, and the handpan, discovered much later, was no exception. Starting in 2008, he became involved in numerous musical projects thanks to his versatility across many instruments. He has participated in:

• Tribolados (reggae/ska)
• Hikari (drum n’ bass/jungle/bossa nova)
• T3ka (acoustic trance)
• Gapura (klezmer/world jazz)
• Khayalan (ethnic/contemporary/world music)

In December 2011, Kabeção discovered the handpan for the very first time and got his hands on one. He describes the experience as a revelation and, soon after his first model, purchased a 7-note Disco Harmonico handpan tuned to the C Hijaz scale from the Italian brand Disco Harmonico. He then spent several years focusing on learning this new instrument until he reached a very high level, and he didn’t hesitate to play out on the street so passersby could enjoy his musical talent.

A few years later, in 2015, he took part in the TV show “Portugal’s Got Talent,” where he performed several musical pieces arranged for multiple instruments, including the handpan. That season, Kabeção stood out for his original and meditative handpan playing: he made it through the auditions and the semi-finals, then reached the grand final on April 12, 2015. He finished as a finalist without taking home the prize, despite a beautiful performance you can watch just below:

During the show, which brought him wider recognition, he shined thanks to his unique playing techniques on each of his instruments, especially the drum kit, darbouka, udu, tabla, djembe, frame drum, cajon, berimbau, bansuri, sansula, Tibetan singing bowls, gongs, didgeridoo, guitar, and, of course, handpan. Kabeção then traveled with a few hang drums for several years across more than 20 countries, mainly in Europe, as well as Japan, India, Israel, Russia, China, the United States, Canada, and Thailand. He regularly performs at festivals and leads workshops where he shares his knowledge of his favorite instrument. Over the years, he has acquired handpans from multiple brands and makers, such as those made by Jan Borren, Ayasa, and Yishima.

Passionate about passing on his knowledge, he joined the Master The Handpan community in December 2019, where he now offers online courses for anyone interested in learning his techniques. You can find all of his lessons from Kabeção directly on the official Master The Handpan website. Between 2017 and 2020, he used crowdfunding to produce the albums “Touching Souls” and “Freedom Expressions,” and in 2018 he released a live album called “The Belle Cave.” In 2020, he began offering handpan workshops for beginner and intermediate players. These immersive workshops last nearly a week and take place at the Loural eco-village in the town of Góis, Portugal. What makes them unique is that they bring together a maximum of eight members who play only eight instruments, all tuned to the same scale and made by the same manufacturer, so they can appreciate the subtle differences that can exist from one handpan to another.

Kabeção continues to travel and collaborate with other big names in handpan music, such as Japan’s Réo Matsumoto. In 2021, he also took part in a TEDx conference, an international nonprofit dedicated to sharing ideas worth spreading. The talk he gave was entitled “The Art of Listening.” Currently, he continues to perform regularly across Europe and goes on tour from time to time.

What are the best productions by this artist of Portuguese origin?

Among Kabeção’s most popular and best-known melodies, you can count his track Astronaut, Scorpion Bite, Saudade, Sun of God, the EP titled High Gain Natural Awakening, and, more broadly, the tracks from his album Cosmic Seeds. You can find these songs for free on his SoundCloud or Bandcamp and even listen to Astronaut just below:

Compose your own beautiful melodies with a Hang drum

Kabeção is one of those artists who has channeled his creative talent into becoming a global reference among handpan players. Inventive and versatile, he creates music that touches both the heart and the soul. Now, with the information you’ve found in this article, you know more about the career and musical journey of this Portuguese artist.

However, if you’d like to create harmonious compositions on a handpan yourself, it’s worth investing in a high-quality model with impeccable acoustics. With that in mind, I recommend one of the instruments sold by the reputable Instruments du Monde store. You’ll have access to more than 40 quality handpans to find the one that truly resonates with you. For example, this excellent 9-note stainless steel model could be a perfect fit.

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If you’d like to discover even more handpan talent, be sure to visit the page dedicated to Jérémy Nattagh, a French player who helped develop this instrument on the international stage. Today, he’s considered a pioneer and one of the best handpan musicians of his generation.