Kudisan Kai
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kudisankai.com
Kudisan Kai has been a background and session vocalist to artists such as Elton John, Chaka Khan, Beck and many others. She is also a solo recording artist, educator and author of the autobiography Memoirs of a Back Up Diva.
First Professional Gig
It was in NYC with a trumpet player named Tom Browne. He had a hit in the late ‘70s called “Funkin’ for Jamaica (N.Y.).” We did a lot of club dates and some larger festivals with artists like Herbie Hancock, Pieces of a Dream and The Gap Band.
Musical Influences
Growing up there was not a lot of music played in my house. I mostly studied classical music when I was young. But I liked Chaka Khan. And when I was in high school I was dating a guy that was into Anthrax, Judas Priest and all the heavy metal bands. He turned me on to a black rock band called Mother’s Finest, with lead singer Joyce Kennedy. That’s when my world went into a standstill. I said, “I wanna do that!” But at the time, I was told I’d never sing nothing but classical music, and I completely believed it.
Surprising Musical Rvelations
When the ‘90s hit and the alternative grunge thing came in I thought music was really speaking my language. People are surprised to hear me live, where my music is heavier, like alternative metal.
Taking Care of Your Voice
Exercise has always been a part of my life, because touring is very physical. You have to build your stamina. You’re jumping around and singing for 2 ½ hours and you have to be in shape. Getting enough rest on the road is hard sometimes, too, but very important. You also have to know how to manage when to speak and when to be quiet so you can conserve your voice throughout the day. As far as food, I took dairy out of my diet four years ago because it causes a lot of phlegm in the body. I also lost the desire to eat meat, as well. I just try to eat things that nourish my body. I also drink a lot of water.
Changing Warm-up Routine
I was a classical singer all of my life, but I wanted to find my voice as a contemporary singer. So for the longest time I stopped doing those classical warm-ups because I wanted my voice to be in a certain place for a mix I was using. I didn’t want such a head voice sound. I stopped tripping out and worrying that my voice had to be perfect. I found a lot of producers are usually looking for a raspy vocal sound anyways. •
