Rising Star: Stefan Kabarowski

Meeting Stefan for the first time I was sceptical as to what to expect. He gives very little away online, try searching for Stefan Kabarowski on any social media sites and you’ll draw a blank. However, upon meeting him I was immediately put at ease, he walked into the room with a charismatic charm, sat himself down and confessed his nervousness. 

Stefan has been making music from an astonishingly young age, he remembers fondly making rap songs with his younger brother on Garage band, a style that he is trying to replicate in some of his work now.

I began by asking about his influences in making music and his response was almost instantaneous – Bruce Springsteen, a legend if there ever was one. Stefan admits to straying away from the music played in his family home when he was younger, saying his Dad was partial to a bit of techno-jazz, which is somewhat of an acquired taste. When talking about his parents you are immediately aware of how supportive they have been of Stefan’s music. He was brought up in an artistic environment, surrounded by creativity and this is something that Stefan has tried to emulate now he has moved away. He talks fondly of his mum getting him to play for an exhibition she held in the garden recently, I suppose if you have such a talented son you may as well make the most of it.

It is clear that Stefan has an unbridled passion for making music, he takes from his own personal experiences, telling me that some of his best songs have come from him letting out pent up emotion in the form of guitar riffs and lyrics. He also takes inspiration from, as he described it, the ‘intricacies’ of other. Little habits and parts of their appearance, that others may not notice. What is important to take away from this is that Stefan takes great pride in making all of his songs truthful, he doesn’t just find rhyming lyrics for the sake of making a song. This is most clearly demonstrated in his song ‘Photographs’ which he says is a summary of his life thus far, looking back now he is on the brink of ‘real’ adulthood.

So where next for Stefan Kabarowski? First stop Winchester University, second stop the world? After finishing university Stefan talks of his plans to move to Brighton and focusing 95% on music (Apparently the other 5% is going on making sure he can pay his rent) He’s going to tour the open mic circuit and get as much exposure as he can and from what I’ve seen and heard so far, Stefan is going to have absolutely no problems going far with his music. Not only has he got a distinctive and soulful voice, but he also has an infectious charm about him which makes it impossible to not get on with him. I look forward to seeing what he does next. Maybe I’ll even hear that elusive Frank Ocean collaboration in the future.

Rhian Davis, Media and Communication graduate

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