A rising Vancouver jazz artist discusses Miles Davis, Black musical roots, and everyday life.
During the final week of May 2026, Feven Kidane and I had a Facebook Live chat discussing trumpet culture, music and relationships. Feven Kidane is a trumpeter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, improviser, bandleader, and a proud Ethio-Canadian woman. Finishing May and the celebrations of Miles Davis’s centenarian birth, the first question opened about Davis’ influence on her music. As we “yapped”, I started to realize how down-to-earth and ease-filled the conversation became. Often, we weaved into aspects of a day-to-day life with the young musician. A rising star on the Vancouver Jazz scene in her mid-20’s, she is not a shrinking violet by any means.
Music, Leadership, and Voice
Kidane is adept and savvy while discussing music, various other genres, and some unique endeavors she had contemplated. This is most evident in the interview with Pan M 360. One of her strongest characteristics shone through during mine and Pan’s interview. It was her ability to champion and advocate for the higher ideals of humanity. One of my favorite quotes from her PAN discussion about the roots of jazz music was “It all traces back to Black; this is the music of African ancestors.”
So it was no surprise that in PART I – Kidane and I discussed the topic of women in jazz. Watch PART I – Trumpet Culture and Musical Beginnings here:
Partnership, Travel, and Inspiration
Previously, in my interview with Tim Reinert, Kidane’s name came up many times. While I was having a coffee with a friend, I picked up Stir’s Spring Arts Guide publication. Her face donned the cover. Later, upon reading through the article, she talked about a recent trip to Africa with her “partner, Nebyu Yohannes”. It was a fascinating article, but it caused me to ask more questions about where they had met. Also, I wanted to learn more about how that trip may have influenced her music upon her return.  Watch PART II – Music and Relationships to learn more.
Upcoming Projects and New Directions
As we weaved through the conversation, details surfaced about endeavors that she is planning for the next couple of months. Unfortunately, her May 31st gig at VIFF would have to wait for another day. She was forced to bow out of the first co-produced “Fidannes Ensemble” session due to an accident. She hopes to return soon with her other events. In Part III of our interview, she talks more about those upcoming events and what recently happened.
Stay tuned for PART III, coming in mid-June, to find out more.