Karen David is not your average “girl next door.” This exotic star has everything you've been looking for: talent, sex appeal star quality that shines through everything she puts her passion to. The stylish actress, singer, and songwriter’s budding career has been going from strength to strength. Born in Shillong, at the foot of the Himalayas and raised in Toronto, Canada, by a half Chinese/Khasi mother and a father from Chennai, the ever-alluring Karen was never one to be confined by the expected boundaries.
At 17, she won a scholarship to the prestigious Berklee College Of Music in Boston to study jazz and gospel, where she discovered her flair for songwriting. A few years later, she moved to London to study at The Guildford School of Acting and, the moment she announced, "I Have a Dream", Benny Andersson snapped her up in a shot to join the original cast of the hit musical, "Mamma Mia!" Film director, Shekhar Kapur, brought his friend, the legend of Indian music, and “Slumdog Millionaire” fame, Golden Globe, Double Oscar winning, A R Rahman, who was developing" Bombay Dreams" at the time, down to see the show. Rahman was impressed by Karen and asked her to assist him and Don Black, in the development of the material for Bombay Dreams. Her reward was to be invited to perform some of the songs on stage on his highly acclaimed sell-out US and Canada tour. This was the start of a friendship that has led to Karen writing and recording with A R Rahman at his studios in Chennai, India.
So whilst Karen was taking the time in the studio to develop her unique “exotic pop” sound, her acting career has been getting bigger and bigger. Her very first film was with James McAvoy and Ian McShane in the Brit cult flick, “Bollywood Queen”. She then landed a role in Batman Begins, and co-starred with Stephen Grahame and James Lance, in Johnny Vaughn's cult favourite for MTV Europe, "Top Buzzer." Kevin Macdonald snapped her up to co-star in his short film, “Eureka”, and she co-starred opposite Steven Segal in “Flight of Fury”. As Asha, in the hard-hitting “Provoked”, she starred opposite Aishwarya Rai, Miranda Richardson, Naveen Andrews and Robbie Coltrane. In between takes, on set, she was asked to write and record the title song for the film, with A R Rahman. Together they penned, the beautiful and haunting “Alive”. But her international audience know this budding starlet from recently playing the lead heroine, Layla, in NBC/Universal Pictures’ prequel, “The Scorpion King: Rise of a Warrior”, and as Liessa in the hugely successful Sky 1, TV mini-series, Terry Pratchett’s “The Colour of Magic”, where she starred opposite the likes of Sir David Jason, Sean Astin, Tim Curry and Jeremy Irons. She has graced the front covers of many international mainstream and Asian magazines. She has also featured in ad campaigns for Roots and Vasanti Cosmetics, in Canada.
Karen has been back in the studio in L.A recently, writing additional songs for her album project with Qura Rankin, and also in London with Paul Barry and Carl Ryden. Her debut album is in production and features collaborations with an A-list team that includes the beautiful, eclectic Bombay Dub Orchestra (Garry Hughes and Andrew T Mackay), and songwriter-producers Johnny Douglas, Rob Wells, Damian Legassick, Andy Bradfield and, of course, A R Rahman. The breathtakingly original songs marry her velvet smooth voice and quirky insights, set against an exotic backdrop that could only have been painted by Karen David. Her “Live Sessions” EP received critical acclaim, and her much anticipated album will show off what KD is all about.
She recently hosted the UK Asian Music Awards at London’s Royal Festival Hall, and collaborated with Shahin Badar and Metz n Trix in a performance of Ringa Ringa from Slumdog Millionaire. The Show will be broadcast worldwide on B4UMusic at the end of May to a potential audience of 30 million.
What’s next for KD? Preparations are in full swing for the upcoming release of her first single, “Magic Carpet Ride”, an epic musical homage to Asha Bhosle’s Bollywood blockbuster “Dum Maro Dum” with mixes from DJ Pathaan, Nucleya, and FlavAsia. DJ Shadow +DjDev.
Later this year will also see Karen in a cool cameo role in “Couples Retreat”, opposite Hollywood heavyweights, Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Kristen Bell, Jason Bateman and Faizon Love.
Get ready to join Miss David on a magic carpet ride....
Magic Carpet Ride will be released on June 29th on iTunes International, from Foshfin Productions.
Music Management – Simon Long / +44 (0) 7968 727 773, or simonlong@collinslong.com
Hi Karen, Wow, congratulations on the single release. That's great. I am sure it will do well. Wishing you continued success, John PS If you ever need a photographer here in LA or in Toronto let me know. It would be a privlege for me to do event coverage or portrait photos for you.
"The life you are meant to find will wring your heart to the point of breaking and then douse you with buckets of joy when you're not looking”. Let your week be full of fun and laughter!!! ;o)
Hi, karen remeber me alia's brother. how are you and your mother diong. theres are wonderfull picks you have here. Good to see ur movie & music portfolio is getting media attention. Keep doing what ur doing girl..
Karen baby been a long time - how is all with you??? Hope your doing well and so is your music... I been jamming here and there have a few festivals coming up to sing i cant wait :) Anyways enjoy the sunshine and keep on being the star that you are
Karen, I hope you are doing good. I have been super busy with my classes for my bachelors degree in fashion design & marketing. Everything is starting to flow much better now. The harder the assignments get the more I tell myself to keep going. As for music. I am still working on that. I have people starting to want me to get some material up soon. Which I am trying. I got a piano for a good deal. So i am excited about that. I love it.
I miss you and your comments you leave me. I love reading positive stuff from everyone. That is what keeps me going. big hugs, Shane
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