Mala Luna Artist Spotlight: Kali Uchis
Written by Yuliana Bourdin on October 25, 2017
Kali Uchis, born Karly Loaiza, is not what you would think she is. If they were to create a hispanic Barbie with alien and retro vibes dripping in candy land colors, that would begin to encompass the persona that Kali Uchis has created. Today, she is still quite a mystery but one thing is clear: she’s determined, creative and talented.
Her career, though somewhat unplanned as she wanted to direct films instead of being in the spotlight, has been in the making since she was 17, living in her car, creating music on her laptop and writing poetry and lyrics in the middle of the night. Being a rebellious spirit, she was not one for authority or rules so when her father told her to leave and go figure it out for herself, she did just that and continues to today. She was only 18 when she released her first mixtape Drunken Babble. Kali’s music seeps with inspirations from older artists like Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald so it was no surprise that the tape had an old-school sound with multi-genre songs that were a mix of rap, old school hip-hop and dancey reggae.
Kali started to come into the mainstream light when her 2013 “What They Say” music video caught Snoop Dogg’s attention and he proceeded to reach out to her on Twitter and ask her to collaborate with him in 2014 on “On Edge”. She was also contacted by Tyler, the Creator with whom she has collaborated on many projects that are yet to be released. In 2015, she released her first studio EP, Por Vida, which featured the likes of Diplo, BADBADNOTGOOD and Tyler. It’s an acclaimed album that is everything that Kali Uchis is: sexy and rebellious with a wide-range of creativity.
The sound that resonates through her music is incredibly melodic with catchy pop tunes, a rhythm you will want to dance to and hip-hop beats that bring it all together for a musical experience you won’t be able to forget or get out of your head.
Recently she has released two singles off of her upcoming album: “Tyrant” featuring Jorja Smith and “Nustro Planeta” featuring Reykon in May and August, respectively. “Tyrant” (video above) reflects Kali’s rhythmic sense of R&B that blends with dancehall, which supported by British up-and-coming singer Jorja Smith whose voice is mellow and jazzy creates a dreamy and resonant song supported by beautiful visuals of the music video. Additionally, in August Kali began her first headlining tour, the first half of the U.S. leg of which she will finish in mid-November before heading to Europe and South America. You can catch her performing at Mala Luna Music Festival next weekend (Oct. 28-29). Tickets are available here.
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