Multi-faceted Karina Colis never thought she would find her calling in becoming a percussionist. Today, she is an internationally successful drummer, vocalist and a music educator at Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music (SAM).
“I was very passionate about music since I was young. I picked the keys because my mom bought me a little keyboard. My step father is a drummer, so I started playing the drums for fun. When I was 18, he made me sub for him during a concert at the last minute. After that day, I became more serious,” she begins her conversation.
The percussionist reveals that she hears Tamil music almost every day and prefers any genre of Indian music. She explains, “I primarily live in Chennai so I hear Tamil songs played by the drivers when I travel. Also, at SAM, I learn Carnatic and take Konnakol lessons. My perception is that Tamil music is groovy and easier for me to understand. And Carnatic is extremely interesting and challenging. I have done great collaborations with amazing artistes from India. If I could make an Indian fusion band in future, it would be amazing.
For over twenty years, Karina has been making a living mostly by performing. Slowly, she has found her new love in teaching music to people. “I have performed in more than fifteen countries including Mexico, New York, etc. For now, I enjoy teaching as I need that balance in my life. If it is only about performing I feel like I am missing out on personal interaction. So I make it a point to juggle teaching and performing equally. I prefer quality gigs rather than quantity. Right now, I am focusing more on school, composing and recording some demos/videos for my project — so that I have more material to apply for jazz festivals,” she asserts.
Getting to share our musical knowledge is a blessing, says Karina. “When I was in New York, I had time to worry only about myself and sometimes it can be overwhelming. I believe in striking a balance. In SAM, I have the opportunity to meet great talented students and the learning is mutual.”
The percussionist also has plans of making an independent album — “I have been postponing it because I never get to perform with the same set of musicians. I will record an album when I find the right time which should be pretty soon.”
Elaborating about her band, Karina shares, “In the current project, I perform original compositions (mainly instrumental) and I’m also writing jazz/fusion arrangements along with music from Latin America. I will also start with Indian compositions in a couple of weeks. I am actually releasing my second official video of Chameleon which is originally a funk composition written by Herbie Hancock. I will play drums in it, while the rest of the instruments are programmed.” She concludes by saying, “It is very challenging to sing and play at the same time. I have also been working on several kinds of styles over the last couple of years. I am like a chameleon that way.”
