Tamar-kali, a Brooklyn-born and bred artist, is a second-generation musician with roots tracing back to the coastal Sea Islands of South Carolina. As a composer, she has fearlessly pushed boundaries to create a distinctive alternative sound that sets her apart. Her debut LP, "Black Bottom," boldly challenged the norms of alt-rock, earning praise from media outlets that described it as "an ambitious new adventure into metal, classical, and progressive styles" (Sonic Scoop).
Tamar-kali's compositions and arrangements for her string sextet and voice project, Psychochamber Ensemble, seamlessly blend the classical music of her Catholic upbringing with the post-punk sensibilities that define her artistic identity. As a performer, she brings her lyrics to life with a passion that is both supreme and unbridled, and her voice is capable of shaking the very foundations and shattering expectations with its intense soulfulness.
In 2017, Tamar-kali made her debut as a film score composer with Dee Rees' Oscar-nominated film Mudbound. Her "expressive and varied score" (Variety) earned her the World Soundtrack Academy's 2018 Discovery of the Year Award and was classified by Indiewire as one of the 25 Best Film Scores of the 21st Century. Her score for Josephine Decker's psychological drama Shirley was named The Guardian's Contemporary Album of the Month in June 2020.
