Tamar-kali facts for kids

Tamara Colletta Brown, known as Tamar-kali, is an American rock singer, songwriter, and composer. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. She is known for her powerful vocals and unique blend of rock, soul, and classical music.

Early Life and Musical Roots

Tamar-kali grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Music was a big part of her family life. Her father was a band leader who played bass in local funk and soul groups. She even sang with his band when she was a child! This early experience helped her love for live music grow.

She learned about many different types of music. At home, she listened to various styles. At school, she had classical training in choir.

During her childhood summers, Tamar-kali visited her mother's family on St. Helena Island, South Carolina. There, she learned about her Gullah heritage. Gullah culture mixes traditions and languages from West Africa and the Southern United States.

Tamar-kali went to Catholic school for 13 years. She says this experience helped shape her rebellious spirit and unique sound. Some of her musical heroes include PJ Harvey, Grace Jones, The Mars Volta, and Patti Smith.

She studied English Education at Adelphi University. She also teaches and is very involved in Middle Eastern dance, like Raqs Sharqi (North African dance) and Belly Dance.

The "kali" in her stage name comes from the Hindu goddess Kali.

Tamar-kali's Music Journey

Tamar-kali started her solo music career in 1997. Before that, she was part of bands called Funkface and Song of Seven. She quickly became a popular artist in the underground punk rock scene in New York City.

She became even more well-known after appearing in the documentary Afro-Punk (2003). This film showed her performances and even featured her on the DVD cover! Tamar-kali's music and writing are inspired by many things, including books, ideas, art, and movies.

Live Shows and Recordings

Tamar-kali has performed with many famous artists. She has toured with Fishbone and sung on OutKast's album ATLiens. She has also shared the stage with bands like Paramore and The Roots.

She has performed at famous places like Brooklyn Academy of Music and Lincoln Center. Sometimes, she performs tribute concerts for legendary singers like Nina Simone, Betty Davis, and Odetta. She was even the Musical Director for a tribute to Nina Simone that held concerts in New York City and Paris.

In 2006, Tamar-kali released her first music video for her song "Boot." This song was from her first album, Geechee Goddess Hardcore Warrior Soul. In 2007, she toured Europe. Her first studio album, Black Bottom, came out in 2010.

Tamar-kali often performs with her special group called the Psychochamber Ensemble of Strings. This group plays experimental chamber music and has performed at the Museum of Modern Art.

In 2018, Tamar-kali created a big project called Demon Fruit Blues. This project combined music, art, and storytelling. Billboard magazine said it explored old stories about women through rock, gospel, blues, and African music. Tamar-kali wrote all the music for this project, using instruments like acoustic guitar, harp, violin, and cello. She was inspired by her own life as a Black woman and artist.

Composing for Films

Tamar-kali works often with director Dee Rees. Tamar-kali wrote the music for Rees' film Mudbound (2017). For this work, Tamar-kali won the World Soundtrack Award for Discovery of the Year!

This was not their first time working together. Tamar-kali appeared in Rees' first film, Pariah (2011). She also wrote a song for the HBO movie Bessie (2015). For Pariah, she sang a cover of "Fire With Fire." For Bessie, she provided several songs and even performed with her band in a scene. Tamar-kali says that Dee Rees helped her start her career in film scoring.

Since Mudbound, Tamar-kali has written music for many other movies. These include Come Sunday (2018), The Lie (2018), The Assistant (2019), and Shirley (2020). She also composed the music for The Last Thing He Wanted (2020) and the documentary John Lewis: Good Trouble. In 2023, she wrote the music for the documentary Little Richard: I Am Everything.

Her film scores have been nominated for several awards, including the Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMA). In 2021, her music for Shirley was nominated for an SCL Award.

Tamar-kali has also composed and arranged music for her string sextet and voice project, the Psychochamber Ensemble.

Discography

Albums

• Geechee Goddess Hardcore Warrior Soul EP, (OyaWarrior Records, 2005)
• Black Bottom LP, (OyaWarrior Records, 2010)

Singles

• "Boot" (2006)
• "Pearl" remix f/ Jean Grae (2010)