Biography

This promising young artist of Brazilian origins grew up in the artistic Montreal neighbourhood know as the Plateau Mont-Royal.

Having undergone a multicultural education in alternative approach primary schools, she was stimulated at an early age by the physical and artistic aspects of dance, theatre and music.

Through participation in diverse activities such as circus, choir, music, theatre, dancing, and basketball, she finished by finding her “true path” following the significant life events that lead her to Vancouver.

It was through her joining the songwriting group Singspiration that she took concrete steps towards achieving musical creativity. She had written poems that lent themselves well to song.

Three years passed before Kamala decided to move back to Montreal after having explored the world. She met Rodrigue Calixte (JRC Production, Martinique) with whom she gained self-confidence and recorded her first songs in the “new soul” style.

Produced by Jeremiah, she performed for several years in Martinique, where she found the land to be a source of artistic inspiration to her: “I love the sound of crickets, they are in absolute harmony with nature, and nature is my primary source of inspiration, as well as love of course!”

All the while keeping in contact with the Martiniquais connection, Kamala carried on with her work in Montreal, where she starred as “Coco” Carmen in the famous musical Fame (a Croque-Monsieur production).

In 2004, she finished her BA at Concordia University, majoring in contemporary dance and minoring in Jazz Vocal Studies and theatre. During her three years at university, she studied under the direction of Jeri Brown (head of the Jazz Vocal Studies Department) and Michael Montanero and Sylvie Panet-Raymong (heads of the Dance and Choreography Department). These teachers helped her develop her own gestural stylistics and vocal signature.

Subsequently, Kamala perfected her trade in the company of artists such as Pierre Merville and invested in her talent under the direction of Roi Heenok with whom she acquired further studio experience.

Finally, she hooked up with Cecil Collins with whom she layed down three tracks in a New York studio. The tracks were cowritten with Gwen Jackson (Atlanta) and sung over beats produced by Bizzo (Philidelphia).

Influences

Kamala will never forget Zab Maboungou (philosopher and choreographer), Claudine Bouchard (choreographer) and Elke Glackmeyer (choreographer) with whom since the age of five until her college years she undertook and refined her artistic perception through the dance medium.

Even though Kamala chose to debut her musical career as a pop artist, she has been greatly influenced by soul, RnB and hip hop music. Her musical references come from a variety of sources such as Erikah Badu, Nina Simone, Sade, George Michael, Aliyah, Jill Scott, Chico Debarge, Kenny Latimore, Lauren Hill and Vanessa Paradis. Also, her love of hip hop culture, from Mobb Deep and Outkast to Clown Dancing in Los Angeles, are a mere fraction of Kamala’s multi-dimensional universe.

With her soulful voice carrying all the gentleness of the beaches of Brazil, her music goes from Zouk to RnB, from a Brazilian beat to a neo-soul ballad, all the while staying true to herself.