ZION
Genuine Music in the Making

Creative. Euphonious. Gifted. These are merely three words that can be used to describe songwriter, producer and performance artist, ZION. Although only in his mid-20s, there�s something about his ever-evolving sound that�s already timeless and lasting. Ask ZION and he�ll say that it�s due to his gene pool (both parents are songwriters and singers in their own right) and growing up in a home filled with eclectic music.

�I grew up listening to [artists like] Oscar Peterson, James Taylor, Donny Hathaway, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Take 6, Miles Davis, Earl Klugh, Bob James and Joni Mitchell, just to name a few off the top of my head,� says ZION. �But my parents also made sure that I listened to a variety of genres from jazz and gospel to classical and folk. That gives you a real appreciation for true musicianship.�

It was this admiration that transitioned ZION from being a musical spectator to a participator at a very young age. �I arranged my own version of Amazing Grace when I was 9 and began producing at 14,� recalls ZION, and it didn�t stop there. At 16, he joined a local rap group in Nashville that created quite a buzz on the Christian music scene with their mix of rhythmic rhymes and melodious hooks; but at 19, ZION branched out on his own so that he could have more freedom artistically both as a writer and performer.

The decision paid off. At 21, he flew to South Africa (the home of his mother and stepfather, Victor Masondo, also a musician) to write and record his first complete indie project, The Rites of Passage, a vast mix of socially conscious mid-tempo tunes (Runnin�, Find My Way), sensual-over-sexual love songs (This Must Be Love, Damou) and light-hearted tracks (Chocolate Star, Flat Foot) all of which transcend age, race and relational status much like the artists that preceded him (especially the late Bob Marley) and even some of his influential present-day peers including Outkast, D�Angelo, Radiohead, Common, Luciano, Jay-Z, Mos Def and others.

�[This project] signifies growth and I've grown a lot since the first song,� says ZION. �During the process of making this album I learned a lot about myself and what I am capable of, and that only came from me going through different trials and learning valuable lessons which will aid me on this path.�

Already ZION has received glowing reviews from local print publications and music industry execs, as well as radio rotation both in Nashville and South Africa. He currently hosts a bi-weekly venue, lovenoise, and he is featured on hip-hop group GRITS� latest project as well as other celebrated indie artists including DJ Tazz and B.Hill. He is also one of the founding members of Audiofonix---a local favored group that consists of two emcees and a live band.

�I guess for genre�s sake you could call [my music] neo-soul,� says ZION. �I'm a rebel though, so whenever I am boxed in one area, I try my hardest to break out and do something unexpected. Kinda like �Hey you thought I could only do that, but I can also do this too�.�

In a world of technologically-manufactured artists, when asked if he preferred the studio to the stage, you may be surprised by ZION�s response. �I would have to say the stage. I'm a really passionate performer, so I like to give the audience all that I�ve got. I mean, I love the studio because you are able to create and see something form from the ground up. But on stage you are able to see firsthand the affect the music has on those who are listening�

And what does he want the audience to gain from his live performances? �A greater sense of self�that�s what I gain with every song I sing and write.�

�Shellie R. Warren/2004