Zarif

Zarif, whose sound fuses seventies soul and eighties funk into modern eccentric pop, has been likened to a breezier and more playful counterpart of Amy Winehouse. Born Zarif Davidson in Harrow, London, to a Scottish father and a Jewish Iranian mother, she absorbed the music of Prince, Michael Jackson, and Teena Marie from an early age, began composing at seven, and assembled her first group, Girls of Tomorrow, during her school years. After completing a Human Sciences degree at University College London, she sang backup for funk-revival band Retrogression and indie-pop ensemble Scarlett's Well while juggling several office positions. An open-mike appearance led to her discovery by a Sony BMG scout, resulting in a 2007 RCA contract. She subsequently opened for Taio Cruz, Chris Brown, and Beyoncé on their British dates, joined John Legend onstage at a London showcase, and issued her first single, “Let Me Back,” in 2009. Label complications delayed the parent album, Box of Secrets, until she issued it independently on Bright Pink Records the following year. Zarif has also contributed guest vocals to projects by Danny Byrd, Breakage, and the Nextmen, and appeared at Prince William’s twenty-first birthday celebration.