KARA

Interview 13 August 2002

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Hi Kara

How you doing? Nice name - same as my daughter's but hers is with a 'C'!

Oh cool tell her I said Hi, I am doing good thanks for asking.

Starting at the beginning - where are you from and where are you now. What's Beltsville like, what sort of place is it - Is there a lot of things going on musically where you are, or do you have to get into Washington

Grew up in New Jersey went to school in Washington DC..Beltsville is just outside of Washington DC yeah there are a lot of talented people in DC musicians and songwriters ..I met Sarkis and Darren Short my music producers hanging out at a local jazz club ..they where there to see Frederico Pena a great Keyboard player who played on Maxwell's first album and plays with a lot of great artist along with Sean Rickman a outstanding drummer. Sarkis and Darren are good friends of theirs and for a while they played at this club in Washington DC and that's how we meet and did my CD "Seasons".

Did you grow up in a musical background

Yeah listened to a lot of Jazz soul R&B funk hip hop classical all music that I liked

Do you have a day job right now

I am a mother now and that keeps me busy..

The 'Kara' CD I assume is your first. Tell me about what you were doing prior to that. We're you the kinda girl that was always writing lyrics and singing?

Yeah I played music in school..writing lyrics and singing and when Darren and I worked together we would really come up with good lyrics along with Sarkis we all worked to produce this CD "Seasons" which is my first CD.

Who were/are your influences

Cassandra Wilson, Sade, Billy Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald many more

How did the album come together, how did you work on the songs, who helped. Sarkis and Darren - tell me about them.

Sarkis and Darren where looking to produce a R&B album and needed a singer Sarkis plays Keyboards and writes songs as well as produce along with Darren who is a DJ ,lyric writer they have a studio and we all worked on the album while I was in school in Washington DC.

I'm guessing here but not too hard to figure that KDS of KDS records is Kara, Sarkis & Darren? What is KDS - anything else going on, anything else or anyone else we should know about

Yeah you are right we made this label to release our CD "Seasons' Sarkis is working on a Acid Jazz label called Dank Records www.dankrecords.biz and has just finished a CD for a "SEE I" a Dub Acid jazz group they tour Europe a lot with this Acid jazz group Thievery corporation as singers .. Darren is DJ'ing and working on some R&B and club projects ..as for me I am taking care of my new borns.

What about performances-

This was a studio album maybe in the future.

The album's been out a while now - how's it gone down. Was it goodlocally - any interest across the country and overseas.

Yeah it has done good for a indie release in DC and England Europe people always email us with great comments its been positive we are glad and thank everybody for their support.

The album is mostly pretty mellow, smooth and adult orientated. Is that where you want to be. Any temptation into a harder R'n'B edge or a neo soul thing perhaps.

Yeah next time we will use a live band in the studio ..This CD "Seasons" was a studio album using keyboards and computers and such and Sarkis and Darren wanted a more R&B album and that's what we came up with.

What are you working on now and what can we expect for the future.

Just taking care of my babies and will be working with Sarkis on his Acid jazz project which will be released by Dank Records the website is www.dankrecords.biz

Have you been to the UK or Europe at all

Yeah but not doing music its beautiful Sarkis has been there and always talks about the way people feel about Soul and Jazz music and the support they get there unlike the US where everything is very commercial sounding lacks soul and people in the UK and Europe know "What's up".

Good luck and thanks for your time

Thanks Mike for the review and positive comments you made and for your support and www.lifesoulpromtions.co.uk is for real!!!!!

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