Issue / Underground Princess

by Anokhi Admin

Underground Princess

Jun 25, 2013

If you don’t know Rebecca Nazz, you should. This Indo-Canadian singer/songwriter, inspired by Eric Clapton and Madonna, is blazing a trail on the charts with her own unique musical sounds.

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.

To learn more about Nazz, you can visit myspace.com/rebeccanazz.

BY NEETU SEUPERSADSINGH / PUBLISHED: THE PASSION ISSUE, MAY 2011
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF KNOLIG WORKS