Kuba Oms

The time is now for Kuba Oms, the Canadian singer who mines 70s-era soul, funk and rock n’ roll on his solo debut, How Much Time, to be released Sept. 29th on Digniti/Warner. As the long-time musical director of the live house jam band Velvet, he has taken a contemporary approach to his own project that could be likened to a cross between Jamiroquai, Paolo Nutini, Jason Mraz, Ben Harper and Al Green. Born in Victoria to a Scottish mother and Indian father, Kuba is a third generation Canadian. As a kid, his parents held studies every Thursday evening, which ended in huge sing-along jams, with his dad and uncle hosting on acoustic guitars. “This was when I’d come into the room,” he remembers. “I’d sit cross-legged and just listen.” He started at age 15 by singing covers at school and around bonfires. An accomplished tennis player, he had the option of a scholarship to a U.S. college, but opted for music instead. And so his pursuit began. To hone his chops, he started a cover band, Souled Out, that became really big in B.C. with renditions of old soul classics from the likes of Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding and Stevie Wonder. “That’s how I really learned how to sing,” says Kuba. “Covering those songs was quite challenging.”