New DJ Duo Koffee and Kandee Spins Electronic Dance Music in Rhode Island

Meet Koffee and Kandee, Rhode Island’s newest electronic dance music production and DJ duo, comprised of friends, John Calcagni (JC) and Sisco Kennedy (SK). Though Rhode Island natives, their paths crossed in a most unexpected manner. Calcagni, a lawyer, and Army veteran, owns and operates a law practice based in downtown Providence. Sisco, a song writer, producer, and DJ, is a fixture in the music industry with more than 20 years of experience. His talents range from performing as a wedding or events DJ to writing, producing, and performing his own songs where one of his productions earned him a Billboard award. 

The pair met in the winter of 2020 when JC decided he wanted to take DJ lessons. He tinkered with DJing in both the 1990s and early 2000s when turntables dominated the industry. After taking a hiatus to focus on college, military service, and eventually the law, JC felt it was time for a hobby. Disinterested in golf like many of his colleagues, he turned to electronic dance music. As an avid fan of the genre for many years, and renowned dance music festival-goer, JC wanted to learn the ins and outs of modern methods of DJing, where vinyl and CDs have been replaced with mp3 files, and turntables have been replaced with laptops and digital controllers. His desire to walk the pathway of the many electronic music legends that he emulates and has met over the years brought him to SK’s doorstep. Introduced by a common friend, SK took JC in under his roof where the lessons began. The duo quickly found common ground in their passion for electronic dance music and formed a strong friendship. Combined with months of intense study and practice, all under SK’s direction, JC evolved from a lawyer by day to an electronic dance music DJ by night. The two then hatched Koffee and Kandee, also referred to as K+K.

The duo is adamant that Koffee and Kandee is an entity. JC and SK are individually and collectively, Koffee and Kandee, where neither man is identified as either Koffee or Kandee. The name is JC’s brainchild. He intended the name to signify and equate the high energy associated with electronic dance music with the caffeine and sugar highs associated with these consumables. JC and SK also recognize the negative drug use stereotype often associated with electronic dance music. To overcome this, they wanted their K+K brand to stand for something more powerful – the music itself. 

JC and SK have been working together as Koffee and Kandee for more than two years. Their journey has included live performances at various events and venues in Rhode Island and Southeast New England. When not performing, JC and SK are in the studio working on original remixes of other artists’ songs and K+K originals. SK is the veteran sound architect and engineer behind their productions.  While JC remains a progressing student in this regard, his creative thought process inspires and influences the sounds of Koffee and Kandee, especially the festival style sets they perform live. The duo is committed to keeping the music alive, where, in part, they are devoted to transforming classic songs of the past, from different genres, and bringing them to new audiences in the present in an electronic dance format.  

Koffee and Kandee music may be found in various online DJ record pools, on platforms such as SoundCloud and YouTube, and streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music. Their 2023 claim to fame was to have the K+K remix of English singer Freyda Ridings’ song, “Weekends,” played by dance music legend Tiesto on his Club Life Radio Podcast (Episode 831). Koffee and Kandee also hosts a podcast, Ear Kandee, where JC and SK discuss their journey together, current events and trends in the music industry, and the local music scene, where they partner with other like-minded disciples of electronic dance music.

Keep an eye on Koffee and Kandee in 2024, when the duo looks to expand their mark with performances beyond New England, and also to sign with a major dance music record label. For more information on Koffee and Kandee, follow them on Instagram @koffeeandkandee and elsewhere in the attached linktr.ee/koffeeandkandee.