As one would expect from a Kibbutz resident, Ophir Kutiel (a.k.a. Kutiman) definitely considers music a collective endeavor. He is not such a believer in rights and clearances, but since he is sampling little-seen, self-posted Youtube videos, most of the samplees are delighted to have the exposure and track-back links. Such was certainly the case for vocalist Samantha Montgomery (also known as Princess Shaw) when Kutiman’s mashed together accompaniment for her a capella song and it went viral.
Former San Francisco Film Society Artist-in-Residence Ido Haar was there to document her sudden internet fame and her subsequent trip to Israel in “Presenting Princess Shaw.”
It started as a project on nearly anonymous artists using Youtube as a public workshop and confessional, but Princess Shaw (her preferred professional billing) quickly took over. She has an earthy voice, but her idiosyncratic style is hard to package in a neatly defined soul or R&B boxes.
