Tamara Jaber Debuts New Single With Duo Scarlett Belle

"Born a Leo on Friday the 13th. Everyone seems to think that's a bad thing, but for me it only made life more interesting.

I had brown curly hair- lots of it, bright blue eyes and more rolls than Baker's Delight. The first thing I did was scream for attention....I know that doesn't surprise you either because I'm still doing it.

People always ask me what nationality I am, because I get it all.
Well my mum is from New Zealand - blonde hair, fair skin, blue eyes. My dad is Lebanese- dark hair, dark skin and dark eyes.

So I guess I'm a mix, but I was born in Paddington, Sydney.
I have three sisters, Daniela 32, Tanya 30 and my little sister Jeumana, who people sometimes mistake me for.
People ask me when I started my career and I tell them as soon as I could use my lungs to bellow out a scream. This is pretty much where it all began.

Up until I was 6, I had no formal training of dancing or singing but I was a little DRAMA QUEEN. I loved to dress up and pretend I was a big star. My mum was a make-up artist so I was always around glamour and I loved the idea of always being able to dress up and pretend I was someone else. My imagination was wild. I still have a great love for make-up today.

At the age of 7 I finally convinced my mum to let me to go dancing with my other school friends. No one else in the family had ever done it. My family wasn't musical. My older sisters were sporty so my mum was never pushing me to do anything. But I begged her so she started taking me once a week to Jazz, Tap and Ballet. My little sister would just tag along.

It was a match made in heaven. I fell in love with it. I would practice so much that the tape would go funny. It was just a really natural thing for me, but I gradually went to another dancing school which was a lot more intense and I studied Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Contemporary, Musical Theatre, Acrobatics, Lyrical, Acting and Singing. Yep, pretty much everything. I went crazy over it and just threw myself into it. It was my biggest passion and I pretty much mastered it in the next 4 years. I went to Peter Oxford Academy of Dance from years
From age 9 - 13 I danced and sung constantly in competitions, rock eisteddfods and shows and managed to collect 400 trophies in these 4 years. It was my life, I completed all my dancing exams and would compete in competitions all over Australia every week. I'd devote 6 hours to Ballet, 3 hours to Tap and 8 hours to Jazz, 2 hours of Drama and believe it or not singing was what I did in my spare time.

I never had singing lessons but I could always sing, so I was designated to sing in all competitions. I'd just chose a song and give it my best.

Wow, these are two of the most embarrassing pictures of my life, but hey, that's where it started. If I don't pull them out now, someone else will. So laugh, go on, it's hilarious. It's funny to think I was so cool!!!!

I was invited after winning the Australian Dance Championships to star in a show at Epcot Centre, Disney World, Florida.

I then went to Las Vegas to compete in the Australian Dance Championships at the MGM Grand Hotel and won 13 trophies in Song & Dance, Musical Theatre, Tap & Jazz. I also won an Outstanding Achievement Award for best overall performer.

It's a little freaky to think about it now. Like wow, I don't remember thinking it was a big deal. And I don't remember getting nervous either. How things change, I was so fearless back then.
While in Las Vegas I auditioned for a TV show called Rainbow Connection. It was like a star search of America and it was a variety s how where we would learn routine's and sing and dance them every week. I did a few episodes as a guest performer, but I had to get back because I was about to start a whole new path and high school.

During this year I also started high school at Campbelltown Performing Arts. I was only there for half a year when I transferred to Newtown High School of the Performing Arts. I was 13 and I was still majoring in Dance. But it was becoming obvious that music and singing was becoming more important to me.
It was at this age that I started having singing lessons and began to explore the world of singing in great detail.
I also joined Brent St Kids because I had heard that this was the biggest and best in Australia and I knew I had to be a part of it. It was at Brent St that I remained for the rest of my training as a singer/ dancer and actor.
Between 1994 and 1997 I was a part of the well known "Brent St Kids" where I performed and trained with some of the worlds best teachers, choreographers and coaches in the world. Kelley Abbey, my favourite of all time teacher, who choreographed SCANDAL'US, Jason Coleman, Jacqui Howard, Leah Howard, Linda Nagel, Drew Anthony and the list goes on and on. It was an amazing time where I learnt everything I pretty much needed to know to help me secure what was going to be my career for the rest of my life.

Gigs/shows and quests I did with the Brent St Kids over the next few years:
TV Commercials, Variety Club Awards, Lord Mayors Picnic, New Years Eve, Heart Foundation Dinner, Regular appearances on the Midday Show, Fashion Industry Awards, KPMG Fashion Parades, People's Choice Awards, Olympic Victory Dinner, Royal Easter Show, Lord Mayors Christmas Concert, Top 100 Achievers Prime Ministers Dinner, appearances on Home & Away, performances on Burt Newton GMA Star, Segaworld performances and probably a whole lot more. But I really can't remember, it was crazy!

During these years of 94-96, I developed my singing skills a lot more and tended to concentrate on my vocal performances on my own.

Entering talent quests all over Australia. I had many signing coaches over this time including, Linda Nagel, Lisa Cullingham, Leigh McRae, Robbie Crupski, Bob Tasmin Smith and more. I did everything I possibly could do involving the performance arts.
I also studied drama/music and contemporary ballet at Newtown so it was a busy time in my life.
As a new solo singer from 94-96 I had competed in over 40 talent quests, won 10 and was placed in most others. Now I'm gonna give you another look at what I thought was cool as shit...obviously not!!!

In 1997 the next major thing I did was a TV show with the Brent St. show group, Cameron Dado, James Morrison and Julia Morris. It was so fun! It was like a modern young talent time. We also recorded an album, so this is where the love for recording contemporary popular music began.
I was 16 and in year 11. Things took a turn for me in my life as I changed schools from Newtown Performing Arts to the Australian Institute of Music. I decided that it was singing that was really taking my heart, so I spent the next two years completing my Advanced Diploma of Music, majoring in voice. At the same time I was completing my Higher School Certificate.
It was a time where I really grew as a singer and artist and began developing my style and songwriting.

During year 11 at the Australian Institute of Music I was also extensively recording with BSK, and writing to record an album.

In 1999 I continued to study at the Australian Institute of Music and completed my Higher School Certificate.

I majored in: 3 Unit Music, 2 Unit Advanced English, 2 Unit Music Industry Studies, 2 Unit DRAMA, 2 Unit Performance Studies, 2 Unit Audio Engineering.

It was a tough year, but I got through it. I actually had a great opportunity arise when I submitted my songs in a showcase to record companies and publishing companies and got approached by Warner Chappell publishing to do a development deal where I would write and record with them over the next year. Then they would shop me round to other labels and get a record deal. This was a great opportunity and I worked with some amazing people. Over the next year I began to write all my own songs and really find my style.
Once I turned 17 and had finished my Higher School Certificate (HSC) I could finally stop stressing and focus on my music.
I had done really well in my HSC and was ready to take on the music industry, but I was fresh out of school. So I started doing Jazz gigs with a band, along with some commercials including one for KFC (he he he).

My first really big break came when I reached up to a cattle call of thousands to audition for a channel 9 show called "Star Search". I went in with fake confidence and somehow got chosen for the very first episode of Star Search.

It was my first TV musical debut and I was so excited. I sang "What a Girl Wants" by Christina Aguilera...what an experience! And guess who else was on my episode...Paulini!!! That was the start of a great friendship...we were buddies throughout the show, she ended up winning the whole thing. Another episode starred Anthony Callea. How crazy that we still all run into each other!!
That year I also auditioned and won a spot to go to China and represent Australia in the '99 Winds Around The World Gala.
2000 came and I spent the first half of the year back at the Australian Institute of Music finishing my degree. It was the Olympics and I got a contract with SOCOG to perform the Olympic song all over Australia for all the Olympic corporate gigs. It was a great experience and became my job for the next six months.

Then the most amazing life changing experience of my life to date...happened.
Yes, I know you know. You probably watched it every weekend.
I AUDITIONED FOR POPSTARS 2!

My life was never gonna be the same again. I was 18 and I just literally rocked up to the auditions, not expecting anything, but secretly hoping this would be my next big break! Cos I had no real choice but to get it.

Looking back now it was an amazing experience, one that will always be special cos it was the real start of it all. I met my current boyfriend Kyle, my manager Ryan and one of my best friends to date Jackie O, who was a judge at the time.

It still seems surreal, but I have pictures to prove it.
Oh and I also have an ARIA, which is my most prized possession. It all started when SCANDAL'US was born.
with Festival Mushroom Records. "Me Myself & I" debuted at #1 on the ARIA charts and went on to become the highest selling single in 2001, which earned them an ARIA.

The album "Startin' Something" debuted at #2 and went platinum status.

2002 began to kick in and the hype surrounding us began to subside. SCANDAL'US went on tour in the UK extensively with fellow Popstars from the UK and Germany.

This was the most amazing experience ever. We played to crowds of hundreds of thousands of people. One to remember was Wembley Stadium!

The day we returned from the UK, it was the ARIA's and the first of one of my big dreams came true...I won an ARIA!! I look at it all the time and just smile. I can't believe it!!
It was coming to a close for SCANDAL'US after this. It was a really hard decision but it was really not our choice to go our separate ways. We really had no choice. Our deal with the TV and record company was finished and there was no real opportunity for us to continue. It was tough, really tough. But it was not the end for me, I was not about to give up my dreams and what I'd been working toward for my whole life.
There was really no option to go out and get a normal job, cos this was my job, my passion, my everything.

I live to write, record and perform my music. I get the most satisfaction when you guys can listen to my music and relate to what I'm saying, cos a lot of the time I've been there and experienced what ever it is I'm writing about. I love to move people, emote them, make them feel and think. That's the whole reason I get up every morning and work my ASS to the bone everyday, and when someone puts a wall in front of me, I find a secret door and walk through. You've got to be tough, cos people will always wanna bring you down. But don't let them...ever. That's what I face for the next four years.

Out there on my own. Working on my own music, doing demo after demo. Going from audition to audition. Going to record company after record company, meeting and feeling like no one believed in my vision.

But I never stopped believing...ever. It didn't matter how many times someone said NO...I turned around and said "No worries, you obviously don't hear what I'm hearing".
In between all that I finally went to an audition for the Musical HAIR and I got it. It was a chance to perform and I was so happy to have that opportunity. So I spent six months performing HAIR, 8 shows a week and continued to work with different producers on my music.
I had a lot to write about, plenty of material, but no deal as such.

And just in case you're wondering if I got naked, I didn't...As I said, the last time you would ever see me naked was in the bath when I was 3.

So here we are August 2005. Let me just say my favourite track on the album is called "Hard For ME". It's an Urban/Rock ballad with smooth R'n'B vocals. It has a killer melody and I know so many of you will relate to it. It's nothing like 00H-AHH.

None of the album is like the single OHH-AHH...it's a lot more vocally embellished, which just means more singing. It's a killer, I love it! Hard For Me is an epic clip, a fairy-tale of heart break. Very theatrical...surprise, surprise. And for those of you checking out the hottie with the 6-pack in "OOH-AHH", he'll be back, so watch and listen out for it.

So that's my story so far. Hope to get out and meet you all some time soon.
My album will be out in September so I'll keep you guys informed. Thanks for all your support and remember, never let anyone pull you down. It's not how many times you get knocked down, it's how many times you can get back up."

As of 2008 Tamara Jaber has yet to release any new material.

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