Natasha 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.
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 and in 2016 she was a Silver Star Recipient at the Cayman National Cultural Foundation’s National Arts and Culture Awards.
In September 2015, she opened Kalabash School of Music + the Arts where she has been teaching music and directing children’s theatre for the last 10 years. She has worked as a teaching-artist and served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Center for World Music, (a nonprofit organization whose primary purpose is to foster intercultural awareness and understanding through in-depth encounters with the world’s performing arts traditions.) She is also founder and front woman for Baby Bushka, an all female, 8 woman strong Kate Bush experience, and writes and performs her original music under the moniker NATULA.
She currently divides her time between San Diego and Cornwall. To keep up with her adventures connect via the links or subscribe to her writings on Substack.