Zascha Moktan, an Indian-born singer and pianist specializing in English-language pop-soul, began attracting attention in Germany during 2007 and 2008 after issuing her first recordings. She entered the world in New Delhi in 1981 as the child of a Nepalese father and a German mother. Her family relocated from India to London while she was still young, then settled in her mother’s homeland, where she spent her formative years in Frankfurt am Main. Because both parents were musicians, Moktan started performing music at an early age, taking up piano when she turned eight. She also cultivated her voice, first refining it as a member of her school choir. During adolescence she joined a band and competed seriously in a talent contest, ultimately receiving the Beste Deutsche Hessische Newcomer Band award in 2000. Two years later violinist Nigel Kennedy took an interest in her work, inviting her onstage for several performances and praising her abilities. In 2003 she supported British contemporary R&B star Craig David on tour, and in 2005 she opened shows for American singer-pianists Alicia Keys and John Legend. Her own style, often compared to that of Keys, helped her secure a contract with Universal Music Group; the label issued her debut single, “Ouch!,” toward the end of 2007. The track reached the German Top 40 and paved the way for her first album, The Bottom Line, which appeared in 2008 and likewise charted inside the Top 40. Follow-up single “Like U Do” also became a hit.
