Ben LaMar Gay

A Chicago native, Ben LaMar Gay is a composer, cornetist, multi-instrumentalist, singer, poet, and patently eclectic polymath. He channels a radical array of sound, colour, and space through the universal language of folklore. Ben’s true technique is giving life to an idea while exploring and expanding on the term “Americana.” 

From Chicago’s iconic South Side neighbourhood, where he grew up, to Brazil, passing through Nigeria, France, Italy and Germany…, Ben LaMar Gay composes music closely related to everyday and political life and he is inspired by other cultures to create extremely rich, urgent and unclassifiable sounds.

 With the celebrated release of his debut album, Downtown Castles Can Never Block the Sun (International Anthem, 2018) and multiple commissions, he has established a unique place and voice in the creative ecosystem.2024 will mark a new collaboration with Dorothée Munyaneza around Kae Tempest’s play, Hopelessly Devoted.