Zaramela

What started as six Chicagoland musicians jamming together in December 2011, has resulted in a fully formed group of seven by March 2012. At Zaramela’s foundation is a tight blues, rock and pop rhythm section that is more than comfortable with jazz and funk. On top of that base sits an equally versatile, powerfully soulful horn section, and a lead vocalist adept at jazz, pop and hip-hop. It is easy to see why it’s difficult to describe the genre of most of the band’s material. They blend musical styles like a New Orleans chef adds ingredients to gumbo — “a little o’ dis, an’ a little o’ dat.”

With only two years of professional performances, this group of talented artists will be opening for the legendary band, Chicago, in Milwaukee for sold out shows April 30 and May 4.

When asked how they feel about the upcoming performance, a spokesperson for the band commented, “Zaramela is extremely excited and honored to be opening for the band Chicago. As young musicians, they have definitely had a huge impact on us not only as fans of their sound and the material they have produced, but also in terms of inspiration for growing. We’re the type of band that gets excited to play together no matter where we are. Whether it’s a basement or an amazing venue, we just love playing together, and to be able to do that opening for a group as inspirational and legendary as Chicago is an incredible opportunity. We could not be more grateful to share the stage with them.”
To find out more about Zaramela, please visit http://zaramela.com/index.html. - Rolling Out

When Zaramela began setting up Friday at The Frequency, it became clear that it was going to be a unique musical experience. Seven college freshman took the stage, each holding a different instrument ranging from the bass to the trombone. The seven members were able to effortlessly synthesize the various instruments to create New Orleans style music.

Nothing is comparable to Zaramela in today’s musical arena. While most bands usually average around four members with the typical vocal-guitar-drum combination, Zaramela features seven members with a unique collection of instruments. The trumpet, saxophone and trombone add a totally different element to what is typically found in a band. Zaramela’s music cannot be categorized into one genre. Rather, they create a new genre in which each song can be easily trademarked as Zaramela.

The Frequency provided an intimate bar scene for Zaramela to completely fill with passionate vocals and strong jazzy rhythms. As its first LP’s title, Gumbo, suggests, each song transitioned into different genres ranging from blues rock to hip-hop. Their decision not to adhere to one specific genre and showcase each instrument kept the audience engaged and wanting more.

The performance was short, barely lasting 45 minutes. However, during their set they were able to prove their versatility and adhere to their unique style of blending genres. Zaramela’s cover of Kanye West’s “Gold Digger” opened with lead vocalist Kris Hansen beatboxing, coupled with a strong horn section. Throughout the verse, Hansen transformed the rap section with slow, soulful vocals that sped into a passionate refrain. Zaramela effortlessly transitioned into a heavier rock song while maintaining the strong rhythmic horn section in “Keepin’ it Real.”

Each performance highlighted certain instruments but at the same time naturally blended them together to create a sound worth remembering. The young talent on top of the wide variety of instruments and genres created a show that was hard to compare to anything else, making it one impossible to forget. - The Badger Herald