Kina |
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Thu. August 03.2000 8:38 AM EDT |
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Kina Says Her Music Melds GenresDetroit-bred artist partly credits her hometown's mix of music scenes for her melange of rock, pop and soul. by Contributing Editor Eric Schumacher-Rasmussen |
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Kina says she gets frustrated when people make assumptions about her music because of her race. ( ) |
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Try to classify Kina's music, and you can practically hear the hairs bristle on the back of her neck. "I don't listen to music in terms of what genre it is," the singer said from a New York hotel
Point well taken — her self-titled debut album, released July 18, defies easy categorization. Kina (born Kina Casper) credits her musical diversity — a melange of rock, pop and soul — in part to her upbringing in Detroit, a city with a history of equally vibrant R&B and rock scenes. "Back in the day, you had all the Motown stuff at the same time you had the Stooges and MC5," she said. "And now, you've got hip-hop with Eminem, rock with Kid Rock and then someone like me, who's a little of everything." What really frustrates Kina, who is black, is when people make assumptions about her music because of her race. "We're not living in that kind of world anymore, if we ever did," she said. "But some people still assume that if you're black, you're going to sound a certain way." Kina's on tour, opening for Australian pop duo Savage Garden, which she said gives her an opportunity to reach pop fans — in addition to rock and adult-contemporary radio listeners. "I get played on rock and adult-contemporary stations, but not on urban stations, even though I've got R&B sounds," she said. "But when I play my own solo shows, the audience is mostly black." Kina does have an R&B background. She joined the platinum-selling group Brownstone in 1995 and sang on their second album, 1997's Still Climbing. But she left soon after the album's release, when it became clear that Brownstone's radio-ready R&B formula didn't give her the kind of freedom she wanted to branch out musically. "I don't have a problem with what they were doing," Kina said of the amicable split. "I just wanted to do more." She said she also felt constrained by an increasingly "producer-driven" version of R&B. "It's not about the artist anymore; it's about the sound and the hit single, and now everything kind of sounds the same," Kina said. After leaving the group, Kina hooked up with producer and songwriter London Jones, who produced Kina. The two wrote several songs, including the eventual debut single, "Girl From the Gutter" (RealAudio excerpt), a tough-but-melodic dis of a man who underestimates a woman's strength. "When I heard 'Girl From the Gutter,' I got goose bumps. She's got real star power," said DreamWorks marketing director Leah Reid, who added that she was assigned to work on Kina's album before she heard any of the music. Kina's own favorites on the disc are "I Love You" (RealAudio excerpt) and "Have a Cry." The former is a playful, midtempo song that builds to an anthemic, electric-guitar-driven bridge. "I just think that's the most complete song on the album, and that's all I'm going to say," she laughed. "Have a Cry" is a testament to the importance of solitude. "There ain't nothin' you can say/ So don't come sing 'Amazing Grace,' " she sings. "Sometimes, you just need to be alone, but people will come your way and try to cheer you up," she said. "That's the last thing you want at a time like that." Kina, who won't reveal her age, said she plans to tour on her own after her last show with Savage Garden, on Sept. 10 in Las Vegas. But she says no dates have been nailed down. To watch Kina's video for "Girl From the Gutter" and listen to sound clips from her self-titled debut, visit the sonicnet.com Listening Room by clicking HERE. |
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