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Zola

ZOLA is a Billboard® award winning songwriter whose songs are recognized in many categories including, jazz, blues, pop, country, contemporary~folk and cabaret. This versatile singer~pianist has recorded six solo albums of original material, varying in style and genre, that also include baby lullabies and children’s music. She has performed with general business bands and as a solo artist overseas and locally, making her singer~songwriter USA debut in 1997 at Boston’s Scullers Jazz Club.

ZOLA, born in Cape Town, South Africa, apparently began singing long before she could talk. She started composing songs at the piano at a very young age and by the time she was a teenager, she had already had a number of her songs published. Being the daughter of a world renowned actress/singer/comedienne, Chayela Rosenthal, ZOLA’s introduction to the arts came about at a very young age. Her love of musical theater came naturally, as did her gifted talents as a singer and her ability to act. By age three she was already the favorite child star in the open air summer stage shows. At age nine, ZOLA was singing and dancing in local community variety shows with “The Tripple Ripple” - a singing trio she formed with her two best buddies! She continued on to play the lead role in her school plays. Growing up, ZOLA saw every musical movie, or theatrical production that she could, after which she would race home, humming the theme songs in her head, and run to the piano where her little fingers would effortlessly bring those melodies out to play. While greatly inspired by Broadway musicals, film scores and instrumentals, ZOLA’s early, yet major, musical influences also included Barbara Streisand, The Carpenters, The Beatles, Sting and the legendary jazz greats.

In her college years, while singing with leading general business bands, ZOLA wrote and performed “First Dance” wedding songs for herself and a few close friends. She then moved on to voiceovers, commercials, contract work for hire and privately commissioned songwriting projects.

Today, in between her Creative Arts teaching program and entertaining young children, ZOLA continues to write, record and perform - all with equal passion and love.

LIVE PERFORMANCE HISTORY: Middle East Café (Cambridge, MA) Scullers Jazz Club (Cambridge, MA) The Attic @ Union Street (Newton, MA) Blacksmith house (Boston, MA) The Centre for Arts in Natick (MA) Boston Songwriter’s Showcase Cambridge Center for Adult Education (MA) Club Passim (Cambridge,MA) Amazing Things Arts Center (Natick, MA) Club 3 (Somerville, MA) Baxter Theatre (Cape Town, South Africa) Nico Malan Theatre (Cape Town, South Africa) Sea Point Civic Centre (Cape Town, South Africa) INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE - (Cape Town, South Africa) Wedding venues - as part-time lead vocalist with Cape Town’s leading “general business bands”

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Zola CD Release Show in November at Scullers Jazz Club, Boston, November 29

Zola CD Release Show in November at Scullers Jazz Club, Boston, November 29

Source: Tulip Songs International

South African-born vocalist and Billboard Award-winning songwriter Zola, will release her latest jazz/pop critically acclaimed CD Here With You at Boston's Scullers Jazz Club, on Wednesday, November 29 at 8pm.

On this latest CD, Zola stretches her vocal talent and compositional palette like never before.

In these original songs of love, the subtle variations in theme run from the sultry ("Long Long Time," “Worth Your While") to the sweetly romantic ("You," “But to Love You"), to the joyous celebration of ...

Exuberant ZOLA at Scullers Jazz Club - By Beverly Creasey ( IRNE / THE THEATRE MIRROR )

She has those delicate, ethereal high notes which quiver with emotion, like Dolly Parton’s breathy coloratura. She writes her own material, as well---in almost every musical style: blues, country & western, romantic ballads, even an anthem for South Africa (where she’s from). She has only one name and it’s Zola! Zola does it all and she has a new CD, “HERE WITH YOU”, produced by wunderkind Doug Hammer, whose arrangements (for his kickin’ band) are shimmering. We all know Hammer can ignite a piano but who knew he could make orchestral magic, too. Zola composes long, languorous songs

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Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

here with you

Tulip Songs International
2006

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