KAIS (Musician)

Kais Khoury (born December 10, 1988), professionally known as KAIS^[1], is a Canadian, Jordanian born singer, songwriter and producer. In 2017, he received an honorary mention by the International Songwriting Competition for his music video 'Ain't Goin' Nowhere', and recently made the finalists of the USA Songwriting Competition for his song 'War Be Gone'. He is best known for his fusion of Indie Rock, Soul and Blues with elements of Jazz and Trip Hop.

Musical Career

Kais began playing guitar at age 12, having chosen that over piano, the instrument he had started with at age 10 and would only continue with incrementally. Born and raised in Amman, Jordan, Kais performed to audiences of 400 people at local talent shows throughout his teens, where he won first place at age fourteen for his rendition of a twelve bar blues, and again at age sixteen for his cover of 'Here Without You' by 3 Doors Down. In 2005, Kais was recognized as having been one of the first artists to jumpstart the thriving Indie Rock scene of Jordan. Having begun to write originals at age 15, his success in talent shows was a launch pad from which he could go out into the world and tackle the music industry where it was hot. Soon after, he took part in a dual Science and Economics program at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC, and found himself immersed in Vancouver's local music scene as the lead singer of a new band called The State of Audio. Three years into his undergraduate studies, his side commitments with the band began to impinge on his college performance that by the time he'd approached his senior year, the university suggested he drop out. Upon returning to Jordan, he still managed to keep his wheels spinning by garnering some radio airplay on a few English FM hit music stations 'Play 99.6 FM' and 'Beat FM 102.5', for two of his songs 'War Be Gone' and 'Cannibal's Paradise'. 'War Be Gone', first written in 2006, expressed anguish about the political state of affairs in the Middle East. It has recently been nominated for a 2017 Toronto Independent Music Award. Since his latest album release 'Seven Shades of She', he has gained significant radio airplay on both College and Non-Commercial Radio stations throughout the US, and is set to perform at both the 2017 Indie Week in Toronto and South by Southwest (SXSW) in March 2018.

Since 2013, Kais recorded three guitar-based albums, an electronic EP and an unreleased Hip Hop EP, and has graduated with a Diploma in Music Production and Sound Engineering out of Point Blank Music College in London, home to notorious acts like Claude Von Stroke, Goldie, AlunaGeorge, Leona Lewis and Patrick Topping. He has also been featured on various prominent blogs like Skope Magazine, IX Daily and The Dope Approach. His music video 'Ain't Goin' Nowhere', directed by Richard Paris Wilson, who also directed MNEK and Zara Larsson's 'Never Forget You', has gained the attention of film festivals worldwide, including the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival in Alabama, the Indie Memphis Film Festival in Memphis, Tennessee and the Austin Music Video Festival in Texas. In 2017, it also won for Best Music Video at the London Independent Film Festival.

Since moving back to Vancouver in 2015, his current city of residence, Kais has continued to play shows as a three-piece band. Since then, he has performed at legendary local venues such at The Harbour Event Centre, The Fox Cabaret and Guilt & Co, including Seattle, Washington's Studio Seven. Recently he was personally selected as a performer at Toronto’s annual Indie Week, in November of 2017.

Personal Life

During his teenage years, Kais played tennis at a national level and competed throughout the Middle East and Canada, where he spent a few years at a Catholic school in Toronto. He no longer pursues tennis professionally. Other activities he now practices are hiking, rock climbing and skydiving.

During childhood and later into adolescence, Kais grew up in a home where his father loved music and avidly enjoyed playing piano. He believes that helped spark his passion for music from an early age. Although his father had minimal public experience in the music industry, having mostly hosted nights at a joint in Austin, Texas while he attended the college of pharmacy at UT Austin, it taught Kais to appreciate music for the service it brought to the spirit, over it's modern echelon for the acquisition of power and possessions.

Activism

In 2004, he created one of the first underwater documentaries about 'Marine Life in the Gulf of Aqaba', and hosted an awareness campaign in conjunction with his school in light of deteriorating coral reefs along the coast, where he showcased the documentary. In 2013, he also took part in a Marine Conservation expedition in the Seychelles, where he helped generate needed statistics for the Seychelles Fishing Authorities.

In 2005, he took part in a non-profit initiative in Kirima, Tanzania, where he participated in the construction and refurbishment of a secondary school.

In both 2007 and 2008, he was the core planner for the University of British Columbia's International Week. which is a campus wide event that raises awareness about different nationalities and cultures, as it commemorates tolerance and anti-racial profiling.

In 2009, he performed at a Gaza Fundraiser in Vancouver, BC, helping raise $40,000 in donations.

References

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