Kamilah Marshall
Los Angeles, California, United States | SELF | AFTRA
Music
Press
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A3FPqCw8wA - House of Blues
Kamilah Marshall - Gypsy Moonshine
2010, Gypsy Moonshine
Chances are you’ve heard Kamilah (Ka-Mee-La) Marshall’s voice before and don’t even know it. Marshall has been one of the Staggering Harlettes (Bette Midler’s backup singers) since 2003, most recently performing as part of Midler’s The Showgirl Must Go On in Las Vegas. Marshall also spent some time as a member of the companies of Rent and Hairspray on Broadway (as Kamilah Martin). With comparisons to Roberta Flack, Marshall is sure to open some eyes with her debut solo album, Gypsy Moonshine.
Gypsy Moonshine opens with "Six Long Weeks" a lush and funky blues/pop tune about the agony of being apart from the one you love. Built around a great hook and serious pop sensibility, "Six Long Weeks" shows off Marshall's gorgeous, full voice in fine form. "Funkabilly" is a call to get back to our musical roots; in this case funk, rock, country, gospel and delta blues. Marshall opens up her voice and magical things happen in a highly danceable tune likely to get stuck in your head. "Hell In Your SUV" is a major kiss-off song for all the right reasons and a reminder not to mess up a good thing. Marshall's diatribe here is full of righteous anger, but it's intelligently written and skillfully delivered in a highly consumable fashion.
"It's Not You, It's Me" is a brilliant song of self-determination that starts off as an acoustic blues tune but turns to Memphis with a Vegas twist. Marshall's voice melts like butter in a top-notch arrangement that's stripped down but masterfully constructed. "The Way It Is" is a tortured, sorrowful take on Bruce Hornsby's song of inequality. Ensley's version looks up at the end in hope and works well in spite of the much darker tone than listeners might be used to. "Reach Out" is a heartfelt and soulful ballad in an acoustic arrangement; a gorgeous moment of vulnerability in song that is compelling at the very least. On "Independent Woman" Marshall explores the struggle between independence and the melding of personalities and needs that occurs in a relationship. "Independent Woman" adeptly touches on one of the classic struggles of human nature in a soulful bluesy song that shows her ability as a story-teller to be first class.
"Sis Shaw" is a song of consolation and remembrance, but also a call to move on and put past hurts behind; it's a touching and real moment of human emotion. "Jami" laments the plight of children whose fathers choose to walk away rather than be Dad and the cycle such decisions create in an entertaining song with Vegas flair. "Gypsy Moonshine" is a song about hero worship and how that aspect is affected when you get a chance to see behind the veil of stardom. It's a solid story song that seems like it might one of the most personal on the album. Gypsy Moonshine closes with "You Want Me", a song about the struggle between our need to be loved and accepted and our need to be ourselves. Written like a relationship song, it could also be a message to the music/entertainment industries that self-determination is more important than giving up yourself for stardom.
Kamilah Marshall impresses mightily with Gypsy Moonshine; blending multiple musical styles with a story-telling gift that is more advanced that you often find on a debut album. Marshall's voice is a thing of beauty, full of nuance and power, grit and beauty, and an ability to inhabit each song she sings with a wealth of inspiration and emotion. Gypsy Moonshine is certain to be on a few year-end lists.
- Wildy's World
While many voices are strong.....Kamilah is STRONGER! - The Gazette, Denver Colorado
"Kamilah Marshall is an artist that transcends the usual mundane pop sensibilities. Her varied influences and unique pedigree as a performer of just about every music genre makes her the perfect antidote to the American Idol culture of 'just add water.'
With this new project, the listener is treated to something refreshingly organic and honest. It’s a little funky, a little Country, and undoubtedly all heart."
- Taku Hirano (Fleetwood Mac)
- Taku Hirano (Fleetwood Mac)
"The REAL DEAL"
-Nile Rodgers (Music Producer, David Bowie, Madonna) - Nile Rodgers (Producer David Bowie, Madonna)
Kamilah Marshall has already had her share of successes with appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, David Letterman and Jay Leno's Tonight Show. She is currently one of Bette Midler's Harlettes, appearing in The Showgirl Must Go On at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Exhausted yet?
After listening to a few of Marshall's tracks, it's obvious this young woman has an exceptional gift. Her voice has exceptional range and her ability to sing the blues is second to none. While listening to the tune, "Jami", it's easy to picture oneself sitting in a seedy Vegas bar desperately needing the blues, sipping countless shots of bourbon, wanting more of Marshall's version of the blues; she brings the feeling of Chicago to the listener with a masterful zest.
Kamilah has surrounded herself with some fantastic musicians who helped her to capture the essence of each and every song she currently performs. Her style is wide-eyed and never harnessed but country blues is no doubt where her heart lies and her passion for it is quite evident. Raised on the sounds of Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder, her father schooling her on the jazz sounds of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Herbie Hancock, it explains her versatility and ability to interpret a song and make it hers on the stage.
Listening to the song, "Sis Shaw", an original ballad written by Marshall, its sheer breathtaking brilliance shines like a starry night, comforting all who chose to listen to the vulnerability of each word she exudes from her sweet voice.
It's evident the world is a better place with the music of Kamilah Marshall in it. God knows, we need some goodness in this world, now don't we?
She is currently in the studio recording her debut record.
Review by Darryl Salach - Targetaudiencemagazine.com
Discography
Gypsy Moonshine (CD avail on iTUNES/CD BABY)
Sex and the City 2 Movie Soundtrack 2010
Hairspray:The Musical Movie Soundtrack
Hairspray:The Musical Broadway Soundtrack
Photos
Bio
Her spirit is reminiscent of soul singer Roberta Flack, but her sound is all her own. Kamilah (ka.mee.la) Marshall and her debut CD, Gypsy Moonshine, promise to take you on a journey that will leave you breathless. Her style is a fusion of country, blues and funk. Marshall calls it funkabilly, a phrase coined by Nashville’s Joanna Cotten.
If you’ve Googled Kamilah Marshall (formerly Martin), you already know she’s been in the game in New York and Los Angeles for years. Since 2003, Kamilah has been one of the Staggering Harlettes, singing backup for Bette Midler, recently closing in The Showgirl Must Go On at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Broadway fans know her from RENT, Hairspray and Disney’s The Lion King, while her LA followers find her giging around town at venues like Molly Malones and the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip.
Kamilah grew up in Orange County, California, listening to every genre music had to offer. “Mom blasted Aretha, Patti and the Pointer Sisters, while Dad handed down a jazz education that included Miles, Bird and Coltrane,” she says of her growing up years. “Somewhere along the way I picked up Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix and I fell in love with country music.”
Marshall graduated high school six months early to tour with Heart Strings, a show designed to raise money and bring awareness to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Six months and 40 cities later, Kamilah had shared the stage with Nell Carter, Salt N’ Pepa and Patti LuPone. ,” Marshall says about her first tour. From that moment on, she knew performing wasn’t just a hobby.
With appearances on the Tonight Show w/Jay Leno, Late Night with David Letterman, The View, and Oprah, Marshall is humbled to say she has worked with the best, whether it’s onstage with the great Bette Midler or in the studio with producers Salaam Remi (Amy Winehouse, Jasmine Sullivan) and Nile Rodgers (Madonna, David Bowie). And a recent performance with the Long Beach Pops proved she can do anything she sets her mind to. The recent release of the soundtrack for Sex and the City 2, finds Kamilah singing an old standard, Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered, and she is featured on The Original Cast Recording of the Broadway musical, Hairspray and the soundtrack for the film, Hairspray, The Musical.
But it looks like Marshall still has a few surprises in store for her fans. Her new CD, Gypsy Moonshine is Illuminating and Inspiring. Marshall sings about people and life experience and somewhere between her melodies, you’ll hear her soul and find yours. Marshall is sure to captivate and transport you to a backwoods Memphis juke joint or a Carolina family reunion. Kamilah’s spirit is a light in the dark, as she sings about her life and yours.
Links
