ABOUT THE ARTIST

Born in 1991 in Shiprock, New Mexico, Kino Benally is a Diné musician, producer, sound engineer, and artist whose work is rooted in the land and communities that shaped him. After graduating from Idylwyld High School in 2010, Kino pursued his education at Fort Lewis College, where he discovered music as a creative practice — organic in its origins and driven by instinct rather than formula. It was there, beginning in 2016, that he began building the sonic language that would define his career.

His debut album, released through KXP and Seattle's Hush Hush Records, marked his formal introduction to the independent music world. Kino's work has since been recognized nationally and internationally — featured on KEXP's Song of the Day and aired on CBC Radio in Canada — with his music consistently centering Indigenous voices, contemporary experience, and cultural continuity.

In 2023, Kino composed the score for Reimagining Native, a project that went on to earn awards at SXSW 2025, further affirming his role as one of the most compelling Indigenous composers and producers working today.

His artistry extends well beyond the studio. Kino has served as composer and performer with Dancing Earth, a First Nations dance company, and contributed to PBS projects including the mini-series Class of '27, as well as the films Moroni for President, Mr. Navajo, and America Reframed. These collaborations reflect his commitment to challenging and expanding his craft across disciplines.

At the heart of Kino's practice is a dedication to community. He regularly teaches workshops on sound and creativity for Indigenous youth, with past partnerships including the Native American Community Academy, Dził Ditł'ooí School of Empowerment Action and Perseverance, Paper Rocket Productions, Survival of the First Voices, and many others. For Kino, the workshop space and the recording studio are not separate worlds — they are the same act of building something lasting, together.