Natasha Kozaily

Serenading Renegades finds San Diego-via-Grand Cayman songwriter Natasha Kozaily further exploring the fusion of jazz and classical music and perfecting these in a pop context. She is able to stimulate emotions from all ends of the spectrum with exceptional ability on the ivories and powerful vocals to match. The album, released today, tells the story of a person coming to grips with the harsh realities of love and life while maintaining hope through it all. You can join in on her journey below and pick up the album here. - My Old Kentucky Blog

The magic of an island girl’s voice using a blend of middle eastern influence and caribbean sounds is enough to keep anyone salivating. A Cayman Island native, Natasha Kozaily is set to release her next album, Serenading Renegades, in just a few weeks.

Her appearance on the San Diego scene just a few years ago proved her ability to steal an audience’s attention with her sultry vocals and ringing keys. Kozaily’s songs have captured her love for the sea, demonstrated her ability to tell a story about celebration, and even introduced us to the heart of where she grew up and her family’s influence.

But unlike her previous work Serenading Renegades explores a deeper side of her and the world around her. With each number, Kozaily takes a closer look at her own soul’s perspective.

In songs like, “Who We Be,” Kozaily celebrates the diversity of the creative human mind and encourages an element of surprise emphasizing community and the acceptance of the fact that “sometimes we do funny things.” The song is artistry in itself as she relies on high-pitched notes to move through the melody of a catchy chorus, “who we be, we be who, I be me, you be you.” The song creates a sense of self acceptance and her very own colorful personality.

Her recent video release of the song was filmed with her friends on a piece of property known to their circle as the “gypsy house,” a place where they often retreat and be just who they want to be: musicians, artists, and idealists. While the video is shown shot in reverse, the perspective lends to those who might call their artistry backwards, but her rainbow-colored face reminds the audience that different is beautiful.

Kozaily has lived her life with a sense of adventure, love, heartbreak, and deep human connection. In “Magic People” she begs for someone to “pluck my heartstrings until they burst.” Meanwhile, songs like “The Tiniest Elephant in the World” or “A Song About a Tree” show her love for connecting with the environment and people around her, provoking emotional airy dance. Her passion for a life-giving experience shines through various instrumentation, such as classical guitar, tribal drum accents, and deftly played piano tones that will make you want to waltz under the stars.

Her mystical voice gives the listener reason to believe Kozaily means what she sings. There’s no denying she carries a methodical roll in her smooth range, creating a feeling of euphoric draw to sing along and live as colorfully as she does through her music.

Natasha Kozaily will be live September 25th at The Loft on the UCSD Campus to officially release her second CD, Serenading Renegades. Tickets are $10 at the door and I highly recommend you check out her music and give in…to the magic. http://natashakozaily.com - San Diego Troubadour

The magic of an island girl’s voice using a blend of middle eastern influence and caribbean sounds is enough to keep anyone salivating. A Cayman Island native, Natasha Kozaily is set to release her next album, Serenading Renegades, in just a few weeks.

Her appearance on the San Diego scene just a few years ago proved her ability to steal an audience’s attention with her sultry vocals and ringing keys. Kozaily’s songs have captured her love for the sea, demonstrated her ability to tell a story about celebration, and even introduced us to the heart of where she grew up and her family’s influence.

But unlike her previous work Serenading Renegades explores a deeper side of her and the world around her. With each number, Kozaily takes a closer look at her own soul’s perspective.

In songs like, “Who We Be,” Kozaily celebrates the diversity of the creative human mind and encourages an element of surprise emphasizing community and the acceptance of the fact that “sometimes we do funny things.” The song is artistry in itself as she relies on high-pitched notes to move through the melody of a catchy chorus, “who we be, we be who, I be me, you be you.” The song creates a sense of self acceptance and her very own colorful personality.

Her recent video release of the song was filmed with her friends on a piece of property known to their circle as the “gypsy house,” a place where they often retreat and be just who they want to be: musicians, artists, and idealists. While the video is shown shot in reverse, the perspective lends to those who might call their artistry backwards, but her rainbow-colored face reminds the audience that different is beautiful.

Kozaily has lived her life with a sense of adventure, love, heartbreak, and deep human connection. In “Magic People” she begs for someone to “pluck my heartstrings until they burst.” Meanwhile, songs like “The Tiniest Elephant in the World” or “A Song About a Tree” show her love for connecting with the environment and people around her, provoking emotional airy dance. Her passion for a life-giving experience shines through various instrumentation, such as classical guitar, tribal drum accents, and deftly played piano tones that will make you want to waltz under the stars.

Her mystical voice gives the listener reason to believe Kozaily means what she sings. There’s no denying she carries a methodical roll in her smooth range, creating a feeling of euphoric draw to sing along and live as colorfully as she does through her music.

Natasha Kozaily will be live September 25th at The Loft on the UCSD Campus to officially release her second CD, Serenading Renegades. Tickets are $10 at the door and I highly recommend you check out her music and give in…to the magic. http://natashakozaily.com - San Diego Troubadour

San Diego has plenty of singer/songwriters, but how many of them hail from the Cayman Islands? We’re not sure either, but we know that Natasha Kozaily does.

The ukulele-strumming Kozaily was already making a name for herself in her Caribbean homeland when music producer Chad Farran convinced her to relocate to America’s Finest City.™ Together, the two recorded Kozaily’s exotic debut, Between Shores, which was followed by a tour through the Cayman Islands and Cuba with her San Diegan backing band. Between Shores has built plenty of buzz for Kozaily, including Album of the Year honors from the Cayman Music and Entertainment Association, and Malibu Music Awards nominations for her songs “Be Brave” and “Letter to Beirut.”

Kozaily just released a new EP, titled A Tale of One Fish, which you can stream on her website. She also has two shows coming up in San Diego: one on September 21 at The Office in North Park, and another on October 11 at The Ruby Room in Hillcrest. In anticipation of those performances, she shared with us some of the things that have influenced her music.

Natasha Kozaily Poetic Memory:

1. Dirty Projectors: I first saw them by chance one night in Wales in 2008 when I was studying music at the university there. They blew me away and I fell in love with their album Bitte Orca.

2. The Prophet by Khalil Gibran: Growing up my mother’s library was full with the works of Gibran. When I was 18, I read The Prophet for the first time. This line has inspired me countless times in my life and music: “Love one another, but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.”

3. Miss Julia: Julia Hydes aka “Miss Julia” is the only female drummer in the history of Caymanian folk music. At 102 years old she is still alive and playing today…wow.

4. “Bird with Beastlike Qualities”: When I moved to San Diego, I was fortunate enough to fall straight into this scene of amazing and inspiring musicians, like Dusty Brough, Chad Farran, Julien Cantelm, David Carano, Joe Amato, and Stephanie Schmitz, to name a few. Jamming and making music with these guys has been the highlight of my musical career and marked a huge turning point in my life and music. If I had to choose one song to be the soundtrack of my first couple months in California, this tune by Dusty Brough and Eva Scow would be it:

5. My Turtle Encounter: It was July 2010, and I was snorkeling off the wall on the small Island of Little Cayman. A turtle appeared among the corals and, like an old friend, swam towards me and I reached my hand out and laid it on its back. This was definitely one of the most spiritual moments of my life. - Owl and Bear

San Diego has plenty of singer/songwriters, but how many of them hail from the Cayman Islands? We’re not sure either, but we know that Natasha Kozaily does.

The ukulele-strumming Kozaily was already making a name for herself in her Caribbean homeland when music producer Chad Farran convinced her to relocate to America’s Finest City.™ Together, the two recorded Kozaily’s exotic debut, Between Shores, which was followed by a tour through the Cayman Islands and Cuba with her San Diegan backing band. Between Shores has built plenty of buzz for Kozaily, including Album of the Year honors from the Cayman Music and Entertainment Association, and Malibu Music Awards nominations for her songs “Be Brave” and “Letter to Beirut.”

Kozaily just released a new EP, titled A Tale of One Fish, which you can stream on her website. She also has two shows coming up in San Diego: one on September 21 at The Office in North Park, and another on October 11 at The Ruby Room in Hillcrest. In anticipation of those performances, she shared with us some of the things that have influenced her music.

Natasha Kozaily Poetic Memory:

1. Dirty Projectors: I first saw them by chance one night in Wales in 2008 when I was studying music at the university there. They blew me away and I fell in love with their album Bitte Orca.

2. The Prophet by Khalil Gibran: Growing up my mother’s library was full with the works of Gibran. When I was 18, I read The Prophet for the first time. This line has inspired me countless times in my life and music: “Love one another, but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.”

3. Miss Julia: Julia Hydes aka “Miss Julia” is the only female drummer in the history of Caymanian folk music. At 102 years old she is still alive and playing today…wow.

4. “Bird with Beastlike Qualities”: When I moved to San Diego, I was fortunate enough to fall straight into this scene of amazing and inspiring musicians, like Dusty Brough, Chad Farran, Julien Cantelm, David Carano, Joe Amato, and Stephanie Schmitz, to name a few. Jamming and making music with these guys has been the highlight of my musical career and marked a huge turning point in my life and music. If I had to choose one song to be the soundtrack of my first couple months in California, this tune by Dusty Brough and Eva Scow would be it:

5. My Turtle Encounter: It was July 2010, and I was snorkeling off the wall on the small Island of Little Cayman. A turtle appeared among the corals and, like an old friend, swam towards me and I reached my hand out and laid it on its back. This was definitely one of the most spiritual moments of my life. - Owl and Bear

Our very own Caymanian Gypsy, Natasha Kozaily, returns with a new single and we can tell you it’s ace.

But don’t take our word for it – head to her site www.natashakozaily.com and you can download A Song About A Tree for free. It’s a beautifully-rendered and powerfully evocative waltz-time track, which was recorded at Lost Ark Studios in San Diego, California, where our ‘Tash lives, works and probably drinks tea when she feels like it.

We grabbed the artist, musician and adventurer to ask her what the song, A Song About A Tree, was about. Erm. Except for trees, obviously.

“One day I woke up feeling this ache of loneliness,” says Natasha.

“All I wanted to do was jump into the sea and play in the sun, but I had other obligations keeping me from doing just that.

“While I was sitting at the piano waiting for one of my students to arrive I kept looking outside and I saw the leaves on this plant shaking and quivering in the wind, tapping on the glass as if they were calling me to get out of the room and join them. In that moment, separated by the glass, it felt like the Earth was just as lonely as I was.”

The song represents the latest release by the talented Natasha, following debut album Between Shores and the darker EP, Tales of One Fish. She tells us that as ever, she’s got ‘a full plate of projects in the works.’

“This track is just a teaser of what’s to come. Music videos, concerts and more gems from the studio await,” Natasha tells Weekender. We’re looking forward to it already. She’s in great voice right now – a true Caymanian success story. - Cayman Compass

Our very own Caymanian Gypsy, Natasha Kozaily, returns with a new single and we can tell you it’s ace.

But don’t take our word for it – head to her site www.natashakozaily.com and you can download A Song About A Tree for free. It’s a beautifully-rendered and powerfully evocative waltz-time track, which was recorded at Lost Ark Studios in San Diego, California, where our ‘Tash lives, works and probably drinks tea when she feels like it.

We grabbed the artist, musician and adventurer to ask her what the song, A Song About A Tree, was about. Erm. Except for trees, obviously.

“One day I woke up feeling this ache of loneliness,” says Natasha.

“All I wanted to do was jump into the sea and play in the sun, but I had other obligations keeping me from doing just that.

“While I was sitting at the piano waiting for one of my students to arrive I kept looking outside and I saw the leaves on this plant shaking and quivering in the wind, tapping on the glass as if they were calling me to get out of the room and join them. In that moment, separated by the glass, it felt like the Earth was just as lonely as I was.”

The song represents the latest release by the talented Natasha, following debut album Between Shores and the darker EP, Tales of One Fish. She tells us that as ever, she’s got ‘a full plate of projects in the works.’

“This track is just a teaser of what’s to come. Music videos, concerts and more gems from the studio await,” Natasha tells Weekender. We’re looking forward to it already. She’s in great voice right now – a true Caymanian success story. - Cayman Compass

I hope you enjoy this cathartic orchestral ballad by Natasha Kozaily as much as I do.

“Shooting Stars,” featuring Matthew Molarius, is so gorgeous and tranquil that I couldn’t help but breathe a deep sigh. The twinkling piano is the perfect compliment to Natasha and Matthew’s harmonizing vocals. The rest of the instrumentals float through effortlessly like a sail boat on the quiet sea, softly being the guiding light for Natasha’s lovely voice.

Keep your eyes and ears peeled for Natasha’s upcoming album, Serenading Renegades, set to release sometime this year! - Indie Shuffle

I hope you enjoy this cathartic orchestral ballad by Natasha Kozaily as much as I do.

“Shooting Stars,” featuring Matthew Molarius, is so gorgeous and tranquil that I couldn’t help but breathe a deep sigh. The twinkling piano is the perfect compliment to Natasha and Matthew’s harmonizing vocals. The rest of the instrumentals float through effortlessly like a sail boat on the quiet sea, softly being the guiding light for Natasha’s lovely voice.

Keep your eyes and ears peeled for Natasha’s upcoming album, Serenading Renegades, set to release sometime this year! - Indie Shuffle

With each passing single, Natasha Kozaily’s forthcoming album Serenading Renegades becomes a more tantalizing release. We’ve already heard the infectious tumble of “The Tiniest Elephant In The World” and the lighter, but still as catchy “Who We Be” and now here’s a third track to add to that. “Shooting Stars” in notably more downtempo, with fluttering piano and some pleasantly unobtrusive vocals from Matthew Molarious, but is still as lovely as the tracks that preceded it. Kozaily might not be out to feed you hooks this time, but she can still cause a swoon with her lyrical sentiments (“I recognize constellations in your eyes”). Listen below. - Beats Per Minute

With each passing single, Natasha Kozaily’s forthcoming album Serenading Renegades becomes a more tantalizing release. We’ve already heard the infectious tumble of “The Tiniest Elephant In The World” and the lighter, but still as catchy “Who We Be” and now here’s a third track to add to that. “Shooting Stars” in notably more downtempo, with fluttering piano and some pleasantly unobtrusive vocals from Matthew Molarious, but is still as lovely as the tracks that preceded it. Kozaily might not be out to feed you hooks this time, but she can still cause a swoon with her lyrical sentiments (“I recognize constellations in your eyes”). Listen below. - Beats Per Minute

We’re psyched to premiere this latest taste from Natasha Kozaily’s upcoming Serenading Renegades, “Shooting Stars.” It’s a gorgeous cut that just might be our favorite from the record so far – over a delicately trilling, slow-burning piano line, Kozaily trades off sublime vocals with guest Matthew Molarius about an evening spent in paradise, watching shooting stars with a newly-discovered love. She still hasn’t confirmed a release date for the album, but if the rest of it is this sweet and sexy, it’ll be one of our most anticipated records of the year. Check out “Shooting Stars” in the meantime. - Pretty Much Amazing

We’re psyched to premiere this latest taste from Natasha Kozaily’s upcoming Serenading Renegades, “Shooting Stars.” It’s a gorgeous cut that just might be our favorite from the record so far – over a delicately trilling, slow-burning piano line, Kozaily trades off sublime vocals with guest Matthew Molarius about an evening spent in paradise, watching shooting stars with a newly-discovered love. She still hasn’t confirmed a release date for the album, but if the rest of it is this sweet and sexy, it’ll be one of our most anticipated records of the year. Check out “Shooting Stars” in the meantime. - Pretty Much Amazing

Natasha Kozaily isn’t your average pop songwriter – the sometime ethnomusicology student, theater actress, and classical pianist has already established some celebrity in her homeland of Grand Cayman, and she now works and tours between there and Southern California. Her love for classically-influenced, storytelling, worldly music is evidenced in her music, especially in “Who We Be,” a single from her upcoming record Serenading Renegades that we’re psyched to premiere. It’s a fairly irresistible pop track, all bubbly keys and soaring vocals from Kozaily. Serenading Renegades will be out later this year. - Pretty Much Amazing

Natasha Kozaily isn’t your average pop songwriter – the sometime ethnomusicology student, theater actress, and classical pianist has already established some celebrity in her homeland of Grand Cayman, and she now works and tours between there and Southern California. Her love for classically-influenced, storytelling, worldly music is evidenced in her music, especially in “Who We Be,” a single from her upcoming record Serenading Renegades that we’re psyched to premiere. It’s a fairly irresistible pop track, all bubbly keys and soaring vocals from Kozaily. Serenading Renegades will be out later this year. - Pretty Much Amazing

“My parents grew up on opposite sides of the globe, coming from different circumstances and world-views. Despite their life’s hardships and trials, music was salvation even in the most remote of places.”

“My mother recounts growing up in the 60s and 70s in the Cayman Islands where the rest of the world seemed like a distant dream and records were a rare treasure, brought home by the men at sea and visitors from far away. She danced to the sounds of Harry Belafonte, The Beach Boys, and Bob Marley.

Meanwhile, my father was a teenager in war-torn Lebanon, saving up for his first record player. He couldn’t afford to purchase the whole thing at once, so he bought it in pieces. First came an Akai turntable which sat there for nearly a month while he and his brother saved up for the amplifier and speakers. Abba, The Bee Gees, and Baccara were among his best-loved records, as well as Boney M.’s hit single “Rasputin” which he adored, partly because it was banned in Russia. He and his brother would play their favorite tracks over and over again until my grandmother yelled at them to change the song.

At home, in a small mountain village overlooking Beirut, my father sought peace and refuge between fighting at the front line. It’s painful to imagine him at fifteen, a child soldier caught in the midst of a civil war. But during periods of ceasefire he would return home and join his friends at a house party. With a disco ball setting the scene, kids would bring bags of their favorite records to play. Once the Walkman came out they could bring the disco with them to the frontline. While my father waited behind sandbags with the other boys, he listened to mix-tapes of Tom Jones, The Bee Gees, Charles Aznavour, Chris de Burgh, and Fairuz. “When you put the Walkman in your ears you went to another world…” he says with a smile.

When I listen to his stories I am reminded of the immense power music has to lift the soul from suffering. I imagine those young boys bobbing their heads to “Stayin’ Alive” on their Walkmans as they envisioned themselves elsewhere; perhaps at a disco party.

My parents met at university in Texas, and afterwards they moved back to the Cayman Islands where I was raised. Although it had changed dramatically from when my mother was young, it was still “the Island that time forgot” in so many ways. I played on the beach and immersed myself in music. Throughout high school, I dreamed of travel and music was my ticket through which I discovered the world. I remember finding a few dusty records my parents had but never had a way to play them.

Instead, I spent hours playing classical piano and listening through my CDs and cassette tapes. When I graduated, my wanderlust and desire to learn took me far from home and I haven’t stopped moving since. I spent the first couple years studying theatre in New York City, and then I went on to Cardiff University in Wales where I got my Bachelor of Arts degree in Music. After traveling and living on “the old continent” I moved to San Diego, California where the adventure continues.

The years I spent abroad gave me an enormous appreciation for my parents and the peaceful childhood I had in Cayman. Those old records, which perplexed me as a child, now hold an entirely different meaning. It’s easy to take for granted the music on an endless play-list, which mindlessly plays in the background as I go through my day to day. But I’m grateful to have rediscovered an art to listening.

The ceremony of playing a record now is a beautiful thing. When I gather with friends to place the needle on the vinyl, I remember my mother and my father and their music. As the record spins in the fast pace-motion of today’s technology, we slow down and lose ourselves in the music and the great escape.”
—Natasha Kozaily - The Vinyl District

“My parents grew up on opposite sides of the globe, coming from different circumstances and world-views. Despite their life’s hardships and trials, music was salvation even in the most remote of places.”

“My mother recounts growing up in the 60s and 70s in the Cayman Islands where the rest of the world seemed like a distant dream and records were a rare treasure, brought home by the men at sea and visitors from far away. She danced to the sounds of Harry Belafonte, The Beach Boys, and Bob Marley.

Meanwhile, my father was a teenager in war-torn Lebanon, saving up for his first record player. He couldn’t afford to purchase the whole thing at once, so he bought it in pieces. First came an Akai turntable which sat there for nearly a month while he and his brother saved up for the amplifier and speakers. Abba, The Bee Gees, and Baccara were among his best-loved records, as well as Boney M.’s hit single “Rasputin” which he adored, partly because it was banned in Russia. He and his brother would play their favorite tracks over and over again until my grandmother yelled at them to change the song.

At home, in a small mountain village overlooking Beirut, my father sought peace and refuge between fighting at the front line. It’s painful to imagine him at fifteen, a child soldier caught in the midst of a civil war. But during periods of ceasefire he would return home and join his friends at a house party. With a disco ball setting the scene, kids would bring bags of their favorite records to play. Once the Walkman came out they could bring the disco with them to the frontline. While my father waited behind sandbags with the other boys, he listened to mix-tapes of Tom Jones, The Bee Gees, Charles Aznavour, Chris de Burgh, and Fairuz. “When you put the Walkman in your ears you went to another world…” he says with a smile.

When I listen to his stories I am reminded of the immense power music has to lift the soul from suffering. I imagine those young boys bobbing their heads to “Stayin’ Alive” on their Walkmans as they envisioned themselves elsewhere; perhaps at a disco party.

My parents met at university in Texas, and afterwards they moved back to the Cayman Islands where I was raised. Although it had changed dramatically from when my mother was young, it was still “the Island that time forgot” in so many ways. I played on the beach and immersed myself in music. Throughout high school, I dreamed of travel and music was my ticket through which I discovered the world. I remember finding a few dusty records my parents had but never had a way to play them.

Instead, I spent hours playing classical piano and listening through my CDs and cassette tapes. When I graduated, my wanderlust and desire to learn took me far from home and I haven’t stopped moving since. I spent the first couple years studying theatre in New York City, and then I went on to Cardiff University in Wales where I got my Bachelor of Arts degree in Music. After traveling and living on “the old continent” I moved to San Diego, California where the adventure continues.

The years I spent abroad gave me an enormous appreciation for my parents and the peaceful childhood I had in Cayman. Those old records, which perplexed me as a child, now hold an entirely different meaning. It’s easy to take for granted the music on an endless play-list, which mindlessly plays in the background as I go through my day to day. But I’m grateful to have rediscovered an art to listening.

The ceremony of playing a record now is a beautiful thing. When I gather with friends to place the needle on the vinyl, I remember my mother and my father and their music. As the record spins in the fast pace-motion of today’s technology, we slow down and lose ourselves in the music and the great escape.”
—Natasha Kozaily - The Vinyl District

The title of this song is, “The Tiniest Elephant in the World,” and it was co-written by Dr. Suess. Google it. The piano and cuteness driven song will pick up your mood even if your heart is ten sizes too small. It’s off Natasha Kozaily’s to be self-released Serenading Renegades album, which is due out sometime this year. - Pretty Much Amazing

The title of this song is, “The Tiniest Elephant in the World,” and it was co-written by Dr. Suess. Google it. The piano and cuteness driven song will pick up your mood even if your heart is ten sizes too small. It’s off Natasha Kozaily’s to be self-released Serenading Renegades album, which is due out sometime this year. - Pretty Much Amazing

I guess I would be abiding some sort of subconcious stereotype if I said, “Well, I did not know that music from the Grand Cayman sounded like this!” It’s an accurate statement all around, since singer/songwriter Natasha Kozaily has a unique style that fits somewhere between trips down the rabbit hole with Alice and guest appearances with Mickey on Fantasia. Whimsical and driving, but with rich layers and powerful voice to push it home. - I Guess I'm Floating

I guess I would be abiding some sort of subconcious stereotype if I said, “Well, I did not know that music from the Grand Cayman sounded like this!” It’s an accurate statement all around, since singer/songwriter Natasha Kozaily has a unique style that fits somewhere between trips down the rabbit hole with Alice and guest appearances with Mickey on Fantasia. Whimsical and driving, but with rich layers and powerful voice to push it home. - I Guess I'm Floating

I’ll bet that you’ve never come across a song called “The Tiniest Elephant in the World” before – but you can change that now. And once you’ve heard Natasha Kozaily’s song, it’ll find a way into your memory that will make it seem like it has always been there. With slow staccato piano chords, the sparse beginning of the song beefs up regally with strings and simple drums to accentuate the pace – very much like an elephant stomping, some might say. The cut is the first taste of Kozaily’s upcoming self-released album Serenading Renegades which should find its way to you later this year. Stay tuned for more updates, but in the meantime, do partake in this wonderful number. - Beats Per Minute

On May 14, Natasha Kozaily will release her second CD, Serenading Renegades. She intends dual release parties, both in San Diego and back home on Cayman Island. The Caymanian has lived here since 2010, lured to Southern California, more or less, by a television show.

“I saw an episode of On Surfari back home in Cayman,” she says. Chad Farran had written the soundtrack for the show. I loved the music, so I Googled him.” She tracked down the ex-Superunloader drummer to his home in North County and filed away the information for future reference. Meanwhile, she went away to college in Cardiff, Wales, and wrote songs. When she was ready to record, she went producer-shopping.

“Chad showed an interest in making an album with me. But I think he thought that I was in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, not Cardiff in Wales. When he found out I was on the other side of the world, I don’t think he took me very seriously.”

A classically trained pianist, Kozaily got a degree in ethnomusicology in Wales. Of Cayman, she says this: “The culture, the colors, and the sea have always inspired me, but more important was the desire I always had to get away from there.”

As difficult as it may be to fathom the need to escape the a tropical paradise, Kozaily is resolute: “Growing up in Cayman was a very special experience, but it was a place that felt so disconnected from the rest of the world. I was constantly dreaming of all the places beyond the horizon.”

Kozaily calls her stuff alt-pop. She says the skeleton of her music is pop, but all the layers around it are alternative. “My first album, A Tale of One Fish, is full of a lot of early songs. I think that’s why it’s so dramatically different from my current material,” which she describes as being more experimental. In fact, she says that listening back to One Fish now is like listening to a completely different artist. “Even though there’s an impulse to erase that earlier stuff, I have to remind myself that it’s my own history.”

Still, the recording won an album-of-the year award from the Cayman Islands Music and Entertainment Association. “Most people don’t think of Cayman as a cultural destination, but rather one for diving and beautiful beaches. The music and art scene in Cayman is small,” she says, “but vibrant.” - San Diego Reader

On May 14, Natasha Kozaily will release her second CD, Serenading Renegades. She intends dual release parties, both in San Diego and back home on Cayman Island. The Caymanian has lived here since 2010, lured to Southern California, more or less, by a television show.

“I saw an episode of On Surfari back home in Cayman,” she says. Chad Farran had written the soundtrack for the show. I loved the music, so I Googled him.” She tracked down the ex-Superunloader drummer to his home in North County and filed away the information for future reference. Meanwhile, she went away to college in Cardiff, Wales, and wrote songs. When she was ready to record, she went producer-shopping.

“Chad showed an interest in making an album with me. But I think he thought that I was in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, not Cardiff in Wales. When he found out I was on the other side of the world, I don’t think he took me very seriously.”

A classically trained pianist, Kozaily got a degree in ethnomusicology in Wales. Of Cayman, she says this: “The culture, the colors, and the sea have always inspired me, but more important was the desire I always had to get away from there.”

As difficult as it may be to fathom the need to escape the a tropical paradise, Kozaily is resolute: “Growing up in Cayman was a very special experience, but it was a place that felt so disconnected from the rest of the world. I was constantly dreaming of all the places beyond the horizon.”

Kozaily calls her stuff alt-pop. She says the skeleton of her music is pop, but all the layers around it are alternative. “My first album, A Tale of One Fish, is full of a lot of early songs. I think that’s why it’s so dramatically different from my current material,” which she describes as being more experimental. In fact, she says that listening back to One Fish now is like listening to a completely different artist. “Even though there’s an impulse to erase that earlier stuff, I have to remind myself that it’s my own history.”

Still, the recording won an album-of-the year award from the Cayman Islands Music and Entertainment Association. “Most people don’t think of Cayman as a cultural destination, but rather one for diving and beautiful beaches. The music and art scene in Cayman is small,” she says, “but vibrant.” - San Diego Reader