NATASHA KOZAILY

Owner | Piano | Songwriting

Natasha is the owner and co-founder of Kalabash School of the Arts where she teaches piano, singing and songwriting. She grew up on the small island of Grand Cayman in the Caribbean Sea, 180 miles south of Cuba and 195 miles west of Jamaica. Her parents being from opposite sides of the globe (her mother, a native Islander of Cayman, and her father, a Lebanese far from home) resulted in Natasha’s deep love and curiosity for the world around which can be seen throughout her art and life.

A nomad and creative tour de force, Natasha embraces the arts in all its forms. Lover of the stage and theater, she honed her craft at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City where she graduated in 2007. She studied classical piano since the age of seven and graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Cardiff University in Wales specializing in Ethnomusicology. Her undergraduate ethnomusicology thesis entitled “An Island’s Story: Told through the music of Julia Hydes” is celebrated and treasured as the first and only in depth writing on Caymanian folk music and drummer, Miss Julia Hydes.  In 2014,  Natasha was honored in celebration of Cayman’s National Heroes Day with The Emerging Pioneer Award for her significant contribution to the culture and heritage of the Cayman Islands. Most recently she was awarded the 2016 Silver Star for Creativity in the Arts by the Cayman National Cultural Foundation. 

After graduating, Natasha moved to San Diego, California where she now writes, records and performs music under the moniker NATULA.  She calls her music “third-culture pop” as a nod to her third culture identity crisis which leads her to explore elements of traditional folk music in a pop context.  Her debut single “South” has been praised by music blogs like Indie Shuffle as an “experimental folk-pop tune that hits all the right notes”, and Pigeons and Planes as a “wild new-age pop gem”. In 2016 she embarked on a global tour of house concerts around the world and raised over $10,000 for the Syrian Refugee Crisis via the International Rescue Committee. In December 2017, Natasha brought 7 other female musicians together to form America’s only Kate Bush Tribute Act, Baby Bushka. 10 months later they embarked on their debut tour of the UK + Ireland and continue to perform to sold out venues across the globe!

As a teacher and owner of Kalabash School of Music + the Arts, Natasha is passionate about cultivating an environment where everyone, regardless of age or experience can enjoy the gift of music and the journey to finding their own creative voice in a community of supportive minds and kindred spirits.  She's committed to making Kalabash a place where we can all learn, create, play and grow together.