Kazz Kumar Interview
Make-up artist: Roopali
Sharma
Words and Photography: Nardip Singh
Funky fashionista Kazz Kumar,
who is setting trends and breaking the mould, talks to Unfolded Mag
about her music career and her bow chicka wow wow sense of
style that has bought her many
admirers.
You are renowned for
your outfits, as much as your electro/pop music, how has your own
fashion style evolved with your music?
Well I think as my music has
evolved, my fashion has evolved. Stuff I used to wear was
early
Madonna, Cindy Lauper, Boy George - very colourful, and now there are a lot of new influences from Gwen Stefani and Lady Gaga which have added more of a performance art dimension.
Do you have certain
stores you go to, or do you put your outfits together
yourself?
I love Beyond Retro and some
vintage shops in Shoreditch and Brick Lane. I prefer
experimenting with clothing and looks which create my own
style.
What was your first big break, when did you start taking your music very seriously?
I auditioned with a girl band
when I was 18 and was with them for a year, however that fizzled
out and I went back to university. At university, I met Mr Riz from
Sona Family, told him about what I did and at the time he needed a
female singer. I auditioned for him at his studio, recorded a
track, and then a month later was on tour and making an
album.
How long were you with
that group of artists, when did you decide to go
solo?
I was with Sona Family for four
years, and decided to go solo in 2008.
What was the transition
like going from being in a group, to going solo, was it something
you've wanted to do for a long time?
It was a good transition, I
wanted to grow on my own and develop my music. I think
as I grew, I wanted to break away from the whole Bollywood scene
and develop a 'Kazz' style.
Are there any people
with whom you want to collaborate musically?
I think I want to work with
certain producers like Labyrinth and David Guetta to name but a
few, who I love the work of.
Tell us more about the
second single released in September, called
'Fashion'?
It wasn't actually supposed to
be a single, it just kind of happened. We were recording in
the studio with my producer and we developed something that sounded
very catwalk. It represents how I feel about fashion, how I
wear my clothes and is a sound I wanted people to be able to
'strut' to. The video concept was a photoshoot, so you see
Make-up artists, Stylists and photographers doing their thing and
it's more softer and universal than say the Dirty Word video, which
was artistically very
unique in its appeal in that it was more scary and bold.
This shoot with Make-up
artist Roopali and subsequent interview for Unfolded mag, how did
you come up with the look?
Roopali is a good friend of
mine, we went to university together and the style of make-up and
look we
wanted was quite bold and striking.
Have there been any particular outfits that you have worn to shows that have stood out and you felt privileged to wear?
I am a massive fan of Manish Arora and I was very fortunate wear one of his pieces in a photoshoot which was later worn by Lady Gaga on a magazine cover. I have also worn a fabulous dress by Manjit Deu at the Asian Music Awards which was amazing.
Are there any venues or events that you have really enjoyed performing at?
I loved the Brit Asian Awards at the Symphony Hall in Birmingham and to perform there was a great experience.
Finally, what does 2011 have in store for you?
Hopefully I can take over the world [laughs], have the album out and ready for release and go on some tours to various countries, so watch this space.
Contact:
info@kazzkumar.com
