Streetwise Radio One on One with Kailash
Ten-Year-Old Rising Star Shines at Caliroots Sessions: San Francisco
By Shelah Moody
October 24, 2021.
“You know what we’re doing is insane right?”.
Photographer Lee Abel and I were on our way to cover an indoor reggae festival, Caliroots Sessions, at the Midway in San Francisco. Lee thought it was insane, not only because we would be in a massive crowd in the midst of a pandemic; but because we were going out in the throes of a storm; the most aggressive to hit the Bay Area in two years.
“Do you think we should turn back?” I asked.
Nevertheless, writer and photographer pressed on, masked up and shielding ourselves from large drops of rain and gusts of wind as we entered the sprawling Midway venue, bracing ourselves for what was to come.
I got the first sign that I was indeed supposed to be at Caliroots Sessions SF that afternoon when Jah Warrior Shelter sound system: King Ivier, Rocker Tee, and Irie Dole announced our presence and gave us a shout out soon after we walked in.
“Big up Lee Abel and Shelah Moody!”
I was still floating on the vibe of feeling like a rock star when I saw the second sign that I was supposed to be there. Chilling out with his parents in the green room was none other than Kailash; the 10-year-old, reggae phenomenon I’d been stalking on social media for months.
Wooing audiences with his hypnotic, angelic vocals, Kailash established himself on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube singing covers of Peter Tosh’s “Can’t Blame the Youth,” Wailing Souls’ “Jah Give Us Life” and performing on stages across the country with his mentor, acclaimed reggae vocalist Don Carlos.
Reggae/Dancehall great King Yellowman, one of the headliners at Caliroots Sessions SF, is one of Kailash’s newest fans and Instagram followers.
At such a young age; Kailash demonstrates a strong command of vocals over percussion and bass, channeling pure roots of a bygone era.
Kailash’s parents are Mark Brumwell, who works in the biotech industry, and Thato Brumwell, a medical doctor. The family lives in San Rafael, CA. Incidentally, Mark started out as a huge reggae fan.
“I grew up in Key West, Florida, which has a strong affinity for all things the Caribbean, especially Jamaican culture,” said Mark Brumwell.
“It’s kind of ironic, sitting here looking at Yellowman because he was a key fixture touring through the Florida Keys when I was a young boy.’
Kailash has an album with Don Carlos in the works, and his website will be available soon. According to Brumwell, the key to raising a gifted child is having a strong family unit; a good mother in particular.
“Our family is all different pieces of a puzzle in terms of how we operate,” said Brumwell. “But if it was just me making the decisions on my own, I don’t know if I’d be making them as soundly as without having the guidance of his mother to help balance the decision-making process.”
knew that Kailash was musically gifted before he started to formally train with anybody, but his mother and I got him into a music school when he had just turned three. He couldn’t really talk yet, at least with an instructor. We worked really hard to get him into a music school in San Francisco when he was three.. He started to train formally on piano at age three. We also knew that he was gifted vocally, but we only had so much time and resources to dedicate to one thing. He studied piano, principally, for a number of years and he’s still studying. He has a vocal teacher as well.”
I spoke with Kailash prior to his performance with Don Carlos at Caliroots Session SF. Kailash was perhaps the calmest person in the room.
Streetwise Radio: What does your name, Kailash, mean?
Kailash: It’s the name of a mountain in the Himalayas.
Streetwise Radio: Tell us how you got into singing, performing, and reggae music,
Kailash: Well, my dad was listening to reggae ever since he was a child, so naturally, he instilled it in me. It started with me making videos playing our piano; my dad was playing the guitar and we had a whole drum machine. I feel like it all just happened in the blink of an eye. All of a sudden, we’re here now. It feels like a dream.
Streetwise Radio: Tell us about the musical training you had growing up in San Francisco.
Kailash: I’m part of the MTAAC (Music Teachers of Association of California) certificate of merit program. I take classical piano lessons and I practice every day.
Streetwise Radio: What are some of your favorite reggae songs?
Kailash: I can tell you that I do love listening to Yellowman’s album, “One Yellowman.” Right now, I’m digging the “Answer” riddim, particularly “Turn Me Loose,” by Al Campbell (Channel One). It’s one of my favorites.
Streetwise Radio: I know you are already successfully working at your craft now, but what do you want to do when you grow up?
Kailash: Keep being a musician, keep doing what I’m doing now.
Streetwise Radio: What’s it like working with Don Carlos?
Kailash: It’s absolutely awesome, I have to say! Also, I’ve been digging deep into Don’s history and listening to some of Don’s old songs. They are pretty fascinating. I’m listening to his “Harvest Time” album, and some of my favorite songs are, of course, the title track, “White Squall,” and “Hail the Roots.”
Streetwise Radio: Besides making music, what are your hobbies?
Kailash: I like going on bike rides with my parents. I like shooting basketball hoops at my school; they have a full basketball court. I also like playing kickball; it’s one of my favorite sports. Most of the time, it’s usually music.
To watch the full interview with Kailash at Caliroots Sessions SF, go to: https://youtu.be/ZLAvkMoAPUc
To see Kailash perform with Don Carlos at Caliroots Sessions, SF, go to: https://youtu.be/tCW2fndtEIA.
