Rebecca Nazz

Guitar-strumming songstress Rebecca Nazz says she fell in love with performing early on, and would imitate, learn and perform at every opportunity she got. Luckily for her, she grew up in an environment that exposed her to the artistic world of singing, theatre and, of course, musical instruments. And although Nazz claims she is no Carlos Santana, she knows enough to play covers and originals on her guitar. She says she became interested in learning how to play the instrument after watching live performances of “Hotel California” by the Eagles, “Tears in Heaven” by Eric Clapton and when she saw Aamir Khan playing “Papa Kehte Hain” in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. Her parents were very supportive of her love for the guitar and got her a private instructor.

Manglorean-native Nazz, who was born in Kuwait, grew up in Bangalore/Ooty then immigrated to Canada with her family in the 1990s following the Gulf War, explains she is different from other Indo-Canadian artists because of her versatility to create music. Her musical genres range from pop to dance and she draws on East Indian culture. She says because Canada prides itself on its multiculturalism, artists have the added pressure of relating to the audience they are performing for, which is why she always caters to her crowd. For example, she has been known to bring dhol players to connect with South Asian crowds, or do a set simply with guitar and drums. “I am an Indo-Canadian performer that provides a bit for both worlds,” she says.

Nazz began writing music in her teenage years after gaining inspiration by the powerful songs of musical greats like Michael Jackson and Madonna. Her poetic lyrics and thoughtful melodies gained her recognition and suddenly she arose from the local underground Toronto music scene. In her recent single, “Indian Boy,” she had the chance to work with a legend in the industry, reggae artist Apache Indian, who has recorded with heavyweights in the music world including Boys II Men, Sean Paul and A.R. Rahman. Nazz says she was honoured that one of her musical idols agreed to be part of her song, adding there’s nothing more exciting that having your dream of collaborating with an artist come true. As for future collaborations, Nazz is remaining tightlipped. All she will offer is that, “There will be more to come, […] whoever the collaboration is with, it is bound to be as entertaining as my first collaboration.”

Between promoting her first album, titled Intimate, which has created a buzz with its upbeat dance, fusion and down-tempo guitar-oriented beats, and performing shows in the UK, Halifax, Montreal and several Toronto venues including the Opera House and The Rivoli, Nazz definitely has no plans to slow down anytime soon. She says even with her growing popularity in the UK and Canada, she still remains hopeful she will extend her growth to the United States should the opportunity present itself.

In addition to lighting up the music industry, Nazz says she will also continue her work with the Ethan Felix Foundation, which raises money to provide education and career-training to a select group of students in India. - ANOKHI

Visit URL for radio interview - Naach Radio

http://issuu.com/faizimedia/docs/desi_fashion_10_-_jan-feb._2011 - Desi Fashion Magazine

I had a chance to talk to her.

Where were you born and raised?
I was born in Kuwait and raised in India (Bangalore/Ooty) and Canada. My family immigrated to Canada in the 90’s following the Gulf War.

How do you think the environment you were in and your surroundings
shaped for what you do now?
I grew up in an environment that exposed me to the artistic world of singing, theatre,
and different musical instruments. At home and at school, I was surrounded by music. My mother taught me to sing my first song, “La Isla Bonita” and she enrolled me in community shows and talent shows. My parents supported my growth by enrolling me in private instruction for guitar. I also watched performers like Michael Jackson, Madonna, Cliff Richards, Gloria Estefan, Apache Indian, Vanilla Ice, Boy George, and George Michael. I was always imitating, learning and performing every opportunity I got.

What led you to realize that you wanted to be a singer and a song writer?

I realized I wanted to be a singer the first time I was on stage, at eight years and I had the audience’s attention singing “Postman”. I knew this is what I wanted to do because the crowd went crazy and I was happy to see the smiles on their faces. I was inspired to start songwriting in my teen years after reading lyrics by Michael Jackson “Black and White”, Apache Indian “Arranged Marriage”, Madonna “Holiday”, John Lenon “Imagine.” These songs showed me that through songwriting you can inspire the masses, and promote a positive culture. Songs are able to transcend cultures and generations, no boundaries existed and I wanted to be a part of this movement.

How do you think you are impacting the south asian community with your talent and art?

As a singer/songwriter I hope to make a contribution by creating a new sound with music that fuses Western dance with East Indian pop. I am all about bringing something new to the culture and showcasing what we have to offer the world. I also work as the ambassador for the Ethan Felix Foundation which raises funds to educate selected underprivileged youth in India and provide them with necessary training to succeed in the workforce. My hope is that through the music, awareness is raised for the organization and that I am able to impact the education and training of underprivileged youth in the South Asian community, while reaching them through my music.

What are you currently working on?
I am currently promoting my EP “Intimate” in Canada and performing at local venues in Toronto/Montreal. I recently returned from the UK where I completed a profiling performance with Brit Asia TV. The hot single off my EP is “Indian Boy” featuring Apache Indian, I hope everybody takes a listen. My EP is available on ITunes and Amazon. You can visit http://www.myspace.com/rebeccanazz to get a copy of the EP.



What do you have in mind for the near future?

In the near future I will be working to promote the EP and further the music with interesting remixes and videos.

Careerwise what is the one thing that has been very special to you?

To date, my collaboration with my idol and mentor, Apache Indian on the song “Indian Boy.” My girlfriend Prantia Solanki and I wrote the song in a coffee shop in a week and I used to joke about requesting Apache Indian to sing on it. The fact that Apache Indian agreed to the feature, everyone loves the song and that I am now performing this version is very special to me.

Do you have any particular music project you have wanted to work on or be a part of?

I have always wanted to work on a world music project that draws on Latin, Indian, and Middle Eastern sounds to create a very unique pop track. I have no doubt that in due time it will all happen. - Star Buzz Weekly

Visit http://www.rci.net
Archive File
Online Radio Interview Sample of all tracks for Upcoming EP, 2010 - Woijtek Gwiazda

Known to be “a humanitarian at heart and a musician at large,” Rebecca Naz is uprising performer who loves to entertain people. Rebecca has had pursued music seriously, taking “private instruction” but not a degree in music.
“It is hard for the family to see music as a career option..By no means does this mean the performer is not serious about the music. The performer is faced with the dilemma of whether or not they should pursue a non music degree just to salvage their relationship with their family, or pursue music, following their hearts desire,” says Rebecca talking about having a career aside of being a performer.

As far as inspirations go, Rebecca has grown up listening to Madonna, Michael Jackson, Cliff Richards, The Beatles, Abba, Prince, Apache Indian, UB40, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Asian Dub Foundation, Karsh Kale, Susheela Raman, and Sade.
Canada being a very multicultural country, artists have an additional pressure of relating to the audience they are performing for. “Based on the venue I would bring in a tabla/dhol/jambe player to connect with the South Asian crowd or do a set with just guitar and drums. I am an Indo-Canadian performer that provides a bit for both worlds,” she says.
An immigrant from India, Rebecca feels that it is easy to become arrogant when you achieve fame, but for her that is not an option. “Growing up in India I have seen the darker side of life with poverty and becoming arrogant is not an option.”
In the footsteps of Angelina Jolie, Madonna and Bono from U2, Rebecca is involved with a charity called the “Ethan Felix Foundation.” The Ethan Felix Foundation raises funds to educate underprivileged children in India and provide them necessary training to secure a career in the workforce.

Conceding that the music produced may lose its flare within a few months of release, the budding artist says “the quality of music can get compromised when an artist is under pressure to release new material to stay on the scene.”
In her opinion, issues of today’s youth are school dropout rates, parents’ inaccessibility to encourage and support youth to finish high school or pursue a higher education. “Ongoing issues of teen pregnancy, drugs, violence, smoking and alcohol abuse are also faced by youth. Today’s technological savvy and materialistic world, continues to instill a sense of fear in youth with the message that they are not in with the times if they do not have the latest electronic gadget or clothing items, which is distracting and further propels them into an unproductive life. The Dalai Lama described the issues facing youth the best when he said “The greatest threat to our world is we’re raising a generation of passive bystanders.””

As far as political engagement is concerned, there couldn’t be anyone more skeptical than Rebecca. “I have never been a fan of politics because they make you see everything you ought to see while blinding you from the real truth,” she believes.
So what would it be – a love marriage or an arranged marriage for Rebecca.
“I would opt for a love marriage. I find arranged marriages can be limiting and it is important to interact with several people before settling. Compatibility on an emotional and intellectual level are important to making a marriage last,” she tells us.
Social media has a great role to play in making audience accessible. “It is a lot easier to connect with people and stay in touch given the social media outlets that exist today,” says Rebecca. “I’ve got accounts for facebook, twitter, you tube and myspace which are all accessible from myspace on the link: http://www.myspace.com/rebeccanazz. If fans or industry professionals want to know what I’m up to, any of these places can provide them the information. Similarly if I want people to know about a new song, video, or performance, I use the social media outlet.” - South Asian Generation Next