Kabecao

Portuguese multi-instrumentalist, composer and handpan innovator whose exploratory playing combines rhythm, melody, global influences and sound-based wellbeing practices.

Kabeção is the artistic name of Portuguese musician Carlos Rodrigues, a self-taught multi-instrumentalist, composer, performer and educator. Percussion formed an early foundation, but his work has expanded across handpans, drums, flutes, strings, electronics and other instruments gathered through travel and collaboration. He is known for treating the handpan as a complete compositional environment, moving between intricate rhythm, lyrical melody, unusual layouts and extended forms. Solo albums and international performances sit alongside collaborations with artists from varied musical traditions. Kabeção has also contributed to the development of signature handpan layouts, particularly with Yishama, and established a teaching practice through workshops and the Pantam School in Portugal. His music can be highly technical, but its purpose is exploratory and expressive: virtuosity supports movement between tension, silence, groove and altered states of attention.