NYVC Singer Spotlight: Kamilah

How did you discover you passion for singing? 

I grew up in the Bahamas in a house that often had an eclectic mix of music playing- especially on weekends. My mom, originally from Jamaica, played everything from reggae to classical with a lot of very lyrical Americana/folk music mixed in and a pretty hefty dose of Michael Jackson. She and I would dance and sing along to records on weekends growing up. As an english teacher, she was very drawn to lyrics and would enthusiastically walk me through her favorites and the stories the songs told whenever she was moved. Minnie Ripperton’s Loving You was one of her favorites to turn on- quite early-on mostly because I was able to hit the high notes- much to her amusement. I think I grew to enjoy not only the vibrations within my own body when I sang, but other people’s enjoyment of music too. I wanted to be part of both feeling within myself and bringing that joy to others at a very early age. I was drawn to art in general very early and took every opportunity through my schooling to take part- from plays and musicals to music competitions and showcases.

What’s something recent or exciting in your singing journey?

I’ve been really fortunate in the past 3 years to tour for the first time in my career. My first ever North American tour was with notable Chicago MC, Noname for a little more than a month. At that point, I’d been using a looper as a sampler and producing in front of live audiences for about 3 years, so for her to allow me to join her as both a background vocalist and producer was such a gratifying experience. I couldn’t have imagined a better foray into touring than the experience I had with that team/band. Then, a couple days after returning from that tour - literally 3 days later- I was asked to join the Hozier tour and I was grateful to have 2 years (2024-2025) touring the world with that team (US, Canada, Mexico, South America, Europe, UK, Australia and New Zealand!) It was an intense and wonderful ride; his song, “Too Sweet” topped the Billboard charts while we were in the middle of tour the first year. There were so many shows, so many cities, so many fans! I think our largest show was his homecoming show in Ireland for Electric Picnic festival (capacity 80k)  which we headlined. Playing for 10s of thousands of fans every night was such a thrill. There are so many things about the industry that are hard to learn without hands-on experience. I learned so much about what it means to tour, how teams are structured and how many people it takes to put on shows of that size, the physicality of performing at such a high level etc. I’m so grateful for all my work with Justin Stoney over the past 10+ years. It truly prepared me for the rigor of singing the soprano lines in a protected way night after night through different climates and altitudes and circumstances.

 What is an interesting or funny fact about you?

 I’m multidisciplinary! My undergraduate degree was in Visual Art (Painting primarily) and I moved to NY thinking I had to choose between that and music. Lately I’ve been embracing my multi-disciplinarity. I paint, I make wearable art (jewelry and body pieces) and I design clothing too. I’m figuring out what it looks like to share all of that with the world. I believe we all hold multitudes and owe it to our lifetime to explore as much of it as possible. 

What led you to studying at NYVC?

One short year after I moved to NY I competed at the iconic Amateur Night at the famous Apollo Theater in Harlem. I’d seen an ad for it in the subway station and decided to challenge myself but realized I could use some help developing the vocal confidence to rise to that particular challenge. A family friend referred me to Justin and I’ve been training with him ever since. I ended that competition cycle as the top vocalist of the season placing 3rd overall in the multi-talent competition.

Who or what are your biggest musical influences?

Because of my eclectic musical upbringing it’s hard to pinpoint the most impactful musicians/artists of my life. BUT of the music I grew up choosing (as opposed to what was given to me by my mom and family/ the grownups of my life) I’d say: Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Lauryn Hill and India.Arie are my top of the top. 

What styles of music do you sing?

Thanks to all the work we've done in vocal training, I feel equipped to tackle a range of genres (my touring experience reflects it for sure). But I have enjoyed singing R&B/ Soul, Jazz, Indie/ Singer/Songwriter and Alt/Rock. I think in a lot of ways my own music reflects that mix (with a sprinkling of Hip Hop and Electronic). 

What is one piece of advice you’d love all singers to know?

Singing in a way that sounds cool/ interesting doesn’t always mean you’re singing protectively or with longevity in mind. Truly learning your particular instrument and how it works best and most safely for YOU, is the key to being able to explore the full range of your vocal potential and stretch your creativity in ways that allow you to do it long term.  

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as an artist?

 Getting out of my own head and way and accepting the ways in which society’s reception and engagement with art has changed I’d say have been toughest for me. I think I’ve always been wary of the pressures on artists to wear multiple hats (promoter, a&r, creative, management, booking agent, etc). Ensuring that the other hats don’t determine or negatively impact the music and overall creative process is a math I don’t enjoy having to do. Sharing myself and my art on social media has felt hard for me. Not so much because I don’t want it to reach other people, more because the platforms and cultures around them can be at best challenging and at worst cruel for artists. Asking tenderness and romanticizing the sensitivty of creatives and their art and then subjecting them to the cultures of social media and the internet at large seems counterproductive in some ways. Gaining confidence in myself (creatively and personally) and figuring out what boundaries look like; what preserving myself and protecting the work in those spaces (especially considering the impact AI and DSPs are having on artists, our livelihoods and our IP) is another layer I’ve found challenging. I’m lucky to be in a position now to build a team, even as an independent artist, who are all aligned in our vision for what healthy and consistent sharing looks like in this climate. I feel more confident than ever in my ability to find my people and create an online ecosystem and culture (within my niche) that feels healthy and sustainable.

What has been your greatest victory as an artist?

Allowing myself the time (especially since 2020) to really unpack my life experiences and how they’ve shaped me; discovering and putting language to what motivates me as a creative and what is truly important to me in my approach to art and music making has also been invaluable. I’m super proud of my forthcoming EP, Silver Linings. I’ve produced all but one track and played multiple instruments on it and I feel like it’s a clear reflection of the growth I’ve experienced in that time (personally and musically) and it really doesn’t hurt that even after all the years of living with the music that made it onto the project I still realllllly enjoy listening to it. There’s something beautifully reassuring about the confidence that brings. I can’t wait to share it with everyone this Summer! 

Where can people find more about you and your music?

IG: @iam_kamilah, TikTok: @iam_halimak, Website: www.iamkamilah.com

Artist name: Kamilah on all DSPs (Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, Youtube)