ActorsE Chat with singer songwriter actress Kari R. Taylor and host Nay Nay Kirby
Kari Taylor is an independent artist that is fully formed, in full command of her craft, her identity, and her music. Her first self-financed, single, Love Come Down (the Remake), available on iTunes and CD Baby, is a captivating debut remake that heralds the arrival of a gifted and significant new talent, one whose music feels familiar in a stellar way, while her original music carves out on its own territory.
Raised in Los Angeles, California, Kari at the tender age of three, showed natural talent and an interest in music. One day, while playing at a neighbor’s house, Kari’s talent was discovered by a Hollywood Film Producer who formed a little girls group, placed her on stage, and she has been singing ever since. “I knew early on that I wanted to be either a singer or a poet. I loved to sing and write poems and I wasn’t afraid to perform on stage.” Kari continued her pursuit of music by performing in various school and community talent shows, social events, and drama
productions. Those shows earned her an invitation to join a group called Steam that would draw the interest of renowned Legend, James Brown “I will always cherish the fact that I met a Legend who instilled in me that hard work pays off. It’s an experience I will never forget.”
Kari studied music and theater in college, which prepared her to become a professional Artist. It also helped to broaden her skills as a songwriter. “My first professional job as a songwriter was with Sydney Justin of Shalamar and Welton Gite, who invited me to write with them – embarking on another way to express myself creatively.” That would open the door for Kari to work with some of the best songwriter/artists in the business, such as Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Antonio “LA” Reid, Stevie Wonder, and many others. Her opportunities also include collaborating with some of the most talented and amazing producers in the industry such as Jackie Jackson (of the Jacksons), Suamana Swoop Brown, Barry Mann, and Cynthia Weil, to name a few. Her session work includes work for recording labels Arista, A&M, Capitol, Motown, MCA, and more.
Kari’s collaborations opened the door to various entities of the music industry – recording sessions, opening for headliners, tours, performing in night clubs, and concerts, festivals, which exposed her talent to the industry as she was featured on the Jackee Harry and Friends Show, on the soundtrack of the re-make movie made for television To Sir With Love II, and was hand-picked by Gregory Hines to be his background singer for his tap dancing tour. The highlight of her career was when Kari was invited to join a cast of celebrities including Chante Moore, Tata Vega, and Sheldon Reynolds (EWF) to perform in honor of Michael Jackson – an unforgettable experience that shows that her Brand is becoming relevant and her appeal is growing. Kari has also performed as a lead singer for legendary hit bands – Rolls Royce and KLYMAXX (newer groups).
Kari is currently writing and completing her Album project. “Being an independent Artist has given me the freedom to be myself, experiment, and make the kind of music I love to make – an infusion of R&B, Pop and Jazz. Each element of every song has to connect like a perfect marriage with a sound that is commanding, infectious, modern, and old-school, collectively.” From the opening notes of “Caught Up” the album’s first single, one will hear that combination of melodic captivation, vibe engaging, and lyrical in-depth addressing the beauty of love that are
becoming Kari’s hallmarks. Kari notes, ‘With every Album, I want to eliminate music nostalgia and make the kind of music Artist’s made back in the day but modern style. I want my listeners to be able to relate, visualize my stories and feel the emotion as though they were walking each step of my journey with me.” And Kari does just that, she doesn’t just sing her songs, she lives them out and her smooth, soulful, but powerful vocals are no joke.
As an Actress, Kari got her start doing background work in movies Dream Girls and Waist Deep. This year Kari was cast in two plays. The first, a principal role as Johnnie Mae in the re-enacted stage play In Sheep’s Clothing, directed by Robert Kinsey, in which she made her acting debut. The play ran at the Veterans Memorial Complex Theater, in Culver City, CA. The second, a supporting role as Bertha in the stage play In The Blink Of An Eye, directed by Award nominee Actor, Obba Babatunde. The reading of the play took place at the Vision Theater, in Los Angeles California. As a playwright, she has completed the writing of her first stage play Black Platinum Road, which will show the world just how talented and gifted she really is.
Kari is a real artist and her Brand is what real music is all about…
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