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Overview

N’nako Kandé American National Civic Poet • Cultural Storyteller • Founder of Kandé Kulture™ Chattanooga, Tennessee

N’nako Kandé is a museum‑featured cultural storyteller, bilingual poet, and creator of Silent Hour™ — a nature‑rooted mindfulness practice and digital sanctuary. Her work blends ceremony, ancestral memory, and creative ritual, offering audiences a grounded experience of presence and cultural reflection.

 

Artist Bio

Born in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire , and based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, N’nako Kandé is an award‑winning author, civic poet, and multidisciplinary storyteller whose work spans poetry, ceremony, textile narrative, scent craft, and digital wellness design. Her creative practice is shaped by ancestral rhythm, bilingual expression, and the landscapes of Chattanooga, where she rebuilt her artistic identity through nature‑based ritual.

Her storytelling has been featured in museum programs, cultural exhibitions, radio interviews, international documentaries, and regional media outlets. She is the founder of Silent Hour™, a mindfulness movement designed to help people slow down, reconnect with themselves, and reclaim gentleness in a fast world.

Author & Literary Achievements

N’nako Kandé is the author of over a dozen books and journals exploring cultural storytelling, ceremony, bilingual identity, and ancestral memory. Her work has reached civic and cultural leaders nationally and internationally.

Acknowledgments

• Received a personal acknowledgment from NYC Mayor Mamdani, who referenced her name and the cultural storytelling books she sent.

• Received a formal acknowledgment from President Barack Obama for her published work, delivered directly to her.

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Silent Hour™ — Project Summary

Silent Hour™ is a nature‑rooted mindfulness practice offering guided silence, grounding rituals, and gentle digital sanctuary. Inspired by years of walking ancestral land in Chattanooga, Silent Hour invites users to pause, breathe, and return to themselves.

Silent Hour includes:

• Forest, Urban, and Indoors modes

• Breathwork playlist

• Customizable quiet sessions

• Ceremonial and poetic guidance

Available on:

• Apple App Store

• Google Play

• linktr.ee/nnakokande

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Press Coverage

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NOOGA Today

“Meet the Chattanoogan Behind Silent Hour” Feature spotlighting Silent Hour’s origins, its nature‑based philosophy, and N’nako’s role as a cultural storyteller shaping Chattanooga’s wellness landscape.

 

The Pulse Chattanooga

“Chattanooga’s N’nako Kandé Introduces New Mindfulness App Silent Hour” Health & wellness feature highlighting the launch of Silent Hour and its impact on local mindfulness practices. https://www.chattanoogapulse.com/local-news/health-news/chattanooga-s-n-nako-kande-introduces-new-mindfulness-app-si/

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Hamilton County Herald

Feature Profile — June 19, 2026 A detailed profile exploring N’nako’s creative journey, her cultural storytelling practice, and the ceremonial roots that shaped Silent Hour. https://www.hamiltoncountyherald.com/Story.aspx?id=27512&date=6%2F19%2F2026

Power 94 — YouTube Interview

On‑air conversation with Zainab Kay discussing Silent Hour, cultural storytelling, and creative wellness. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geTqrhXANd8

Power 94 — Website Feature

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Digital write‑up introducing Silent Hour to Power 94’s Hip Hop & R&B audience. 

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Chattanooga Audubon Society — Newsletter Feature

Nature‑centered feature highlighting Silent Hour’s connection to land, quiet, and environmental mindfulness. https://api.neonemails.com/emails/content/CoyS7FQ_de4nbAmTunXSF574mk68FQH060s0LGyaLYs=?

 

Chattanoogan.com

“Local Creator Launches Nature-Based Storytelling Series” Feature highlighting your nature‑rooted storytelling practice and the ceremonial philosophy that later shaped Silent Hour. https://www.chattanoogan.com/2026/6/3/519574/Local-Creator-Launches-Nature-Based.aspx

 

Film & Documentary Credits

Cultural Cross Ties (International Documentary)

Produced through Barking Legs Theater Featured cultural storyteller in an international documentary exploring heritage, identity, and cross‑cultural narrative.

Chattanooga Sister Cities — Ghana Announcement Documentary

Featured in the international civic documentary celebrating Chattanooga’s Sister City relationship with Ghana, highlighting cultural diplomacy and global storytelling.

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Exhibitions & Performances

Hunter Museum of American Art

Saya Woolfalk: Empathic Universe — Vision & Verse Performance — August 13, 2026 N’nako Kandé performs original lyrical storytelling alongside dancers whose movement vocabulary speaks to transformation, memory, and womanhood. Her work enters Woolfalk’s Empathic Universe — a world of hybrid identities, imagined futures, and ritual color — offering a poetic portal into empathy and becoming.

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Cultural Cross -Ties Program

Community‑based cultural storytelling installation exploring ancestry, land, and collective memory.

 

Creative Projects

Silent Hour™

Mindfulness movement and digital sanctuary.

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Textile Cultural Storytelling

Narratives expressed through fabric, pattern, and ancestral symbolism

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Scent & Botanical Craft

Lemongrass‑based formulations and ceremonial scent design.

Contact

Email: kandennako@gmail.com Instagram  @nnakokande Silent Hour App: linktr.ee/nnakokande