ZAMA

Boston-based singer-songwriter Rebecca Zama has been performing since the age of three in venues across Massachusetts and the East Coast. Last year, she got the opportunity to perform the National Anthem in front of 37,000 people at Fenway Park and is also a published poet. Her poem, Optimum Me, was inspired by the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

Zama speaks to the Haitian Times on embracing her heritage through her music and what is like working in the music industry.What inspired you to pursue music for a living?

What inspired you to pursue music for a living?

I have had a passion for singing my entire life, even before I was able to talk, I was singing. At the age of five, I knew that I wanted to pursue music as a career and I started performing publicly, learning to play piano, and writing my own music.

Who do you consider to be some of your biggest musical influences?

Lauryn Hill, Bob Marley, Whitney Houston, Brandy, Michael Jackson, Beyonce, Etta James, Amy Winehouse, Carole Demesmin, and Emeline Michel are some of my musical influences. The list could go on forever. There are so many artists that I have listened to that have helped to shape me into the artist I am today.

What do you think are the biggest challenges in working in the music industry?

I think that there are many challenges in working in the music industry, from finding your sound to figuring out how to balance creative freedom with the business side of being an artist. It’s not easy to work in the music industry, especially as an independent artist, you have to have immense belief in yourself and in your craft, create your own opportunities, juggle many hats at once, and find the best ways to share your vision with others. When you’re up and coming, doors will close, you’ll hear many more no’s then yes’, but ultimately you have to accept that that is part of the process. I like to say that when one door closes, build your own castle with as many doors that you can open and close as you please.

Being young, throughout my career I have had to show that my age doesn’t define my talent, professionalism, or how serious of an artist that I am. I learned to not take things personally and show people what I can do through my actions and not my words. I think the best takeaway from working in the music industry is that you have to keep going and keep believing in your talent and that will bring you to your goals. Learn from your failures, celebrate your successes and use both as motivation to improve and to keep pushing.

Your Haitian heritage shines through in your music as well as your humanitarian work. How do you make sure your heritage is well-represented?

I want my music to represent who I am, a proud Haitian-American, which is why I incorporate Haitian Creole into some of my songs, and I feature Caribbean sounds in my music. My heritage is a huge musical inspiration for me. My music is a mix of various genres but often comes back a Caribbean Neo-Soul vibe, and I love playing shows where the audience is unfamiliar to anything Haitian and through my music, they discover a new culture and they vibe to the songs even if they don’t understand Haitian Creole. I will always choose to showcase the beauty of Haiti and Haitian culture through my art and words. I think that as a Haitian American I have a responsibility to share my Haitian heritage in a positive light and invite people to discover Haiti for themselves rather than feeding into a lot of th misconceptions that are out there. In everything that I do, I strive to represent Haiti justly all while being a part of the generation of Haitian Americans creating a fusion of two cultures into music.

What projects are you currently working on for 2019?

2019 is about showing the different sides of myself musically and artistically, at the moment I am freely creating new music and content and experimenting with different sounds and vibes. I have a lot of new music and projects on the way, so stay tuned! - Haitian Times

By blending her Caribbean identity to her latest single « Stuck » , Haitian-American songstress Rebecca Zama, professionally known as ZAMA, was able to create a unique sound imprint that truly captivates. The originality of her songwriting which lyrically fuses English and Creole, and melodically focuses around a soulful and mellow R&B structure, plunges in an uplifting musical trip. Indeed, the topic behind the lyrics enfolds the social-distancing event occurring due to the coronavirus disease. - Uranium Waves

ZAMA is a Haitian-American songstress, songwriter, and pianist hailing from Boston.

She recently released her new single Stuck. It’s a soulful tune.

Stuck sounds so good. I like the smooth grooves. Besides, the vocals are sublime. Furthermore, I’m also a fan of the solid hooks and soothing harmonies.

Lyrically, ZAMA shines. She has her own writing style. Every line in the song is golden.

The artist wrote Stuck about her own feelings after feeling stuck and struggling to adjust to the new way of life that we’re finding ourselves in. During the first few weeks of lockdown, ZAMA found herself feeling uninspired, but that all changed when the first few lyrics of Stuck popped in her head. WrIting this song allowed her to find her creative rhythm again and to change her mindset on dealing with lockdown. Her proceeds of the song will be going to Transformative Culture Project, a non-profit organization that provides arts and music programs in Greater Boston.

The making of this song was entirely done via social distancing measures which have drastically changed the music industry. ZAMA recorded the track at home in Boston, then was sent to Michele Beneforti in Italy, guitar added by JustAcoustic from London, and finally mixed and mastered by David Altenor of Kingdom Sound Music Group in Everett.

Speaking about the track, ZAMA says: ”My goal in releasing this song is to provide listeners with a sense of healing and to remind them that they’re not alone in feeling that way that they do”

The music video really captures the essence of the song. Visually, it looks cool. The video was shot at home DIY style with help from her brother and with guidance on filming and editing from fellow artist Ayiiti in Paris.

ZAMA is a rising superstar. Her music connects with people.

The song deserves to be heard. It has all the ingredients of a hit.

You can stream Stuck on Spotify or YouTube! - Lefuturewave

Rebecca Zama, qui s'appelle désormais simplement Zama pour la scène, a lancé à 6 h p.m. ce mercredi 24 juin la vidéo de « Stuck » qui parle de son expérience de confinement. Pour cette belle promesse du HMI, c'est une façon d'inviter tous les gens à aimer leur vie en dépit de tout.

Zama, de son vrai nom Rebecca Zama, est cette jeune chanteuse américaine d'ascendance haïtienne qui s'est lancée dans la musique avec « Brighter than the sun », un pot-pourri de Env, Souk et Pop. La chanteuse s'intéressant à la musique haïtienne et caribéenne en général, a collaboré depuis l'an dernier avec la chanteuse Ayiiti sur des mashups.

La jeune chanteuse, comme tout le monde, confie que le début du confinement n'était pas clément pour elle. « N'étant pas habituée, j’en avais marre. Ensuite j'ai commencé à m'y faire », explique-t-elle. Sa verve créatrice ayant pris le dessus et elle compose « Stuck » (qui signifie coincé). « C'est le croisement entre le récit d'expérience personnelle et de témoignages des autres. On a été, pour ainsi dire, coincés chez nous. Les distances étaient importantes mais néfastes pour nos rapports avec les autres », ajoute l'artiste.

Cette chanson, pour elle, est une invitation aux gens à aimer leur vie en dépit de tout ce qui peut arriver. « La maladie, dit-elle, est une grande épreuve ; elle nous apprend nos limites et nous pousse à repenser nos priorités. Alors vivez ! ». L’audio est sorti dans la nuit du 23 au 24 juin 2020. La vidéo, elle, a été mise en ligne le mercredi 24 juin à 6 h p.m.

Le clip se passe essentiellement chez elle, on la voit aller de sa chambre au jardin siroter son thé au lait. Puisqu’elle est de la génération Z ça n'a pas été difficile pour elle de tout faire à partir du téléphone portable et avec des amis à distance. Quand elle ne se filme pas en série, c'est son frère qui prend les images. La Chanteuse Ayiiti la guide dans le montage, un ami en Italie et un autre en Grande Bretagne. La jeune femme avec son joli minois passe aisément du créole à l' anglais sans oublier son français ô combien châtié. Le clip un petit bijou Diy tout en sobriété est disponible sur Youtube. Allez donc le découvrir. - Le Nouvelliste - Ticket

Rebecca Zama, is one of the most talented upcoming artists I believe in the Haitian industry. For the past few months I’ve been following her every move on social media and one thing I can say that there is a lot of talent within her. Her voice is so sweet and soft, but yet powerful. Sometimes I find myself getting lost in her voice, while listening to her sing on Instagram. I was surprised when I found out that she was graduating high school when I interviewed her, because as you can see she looks so mature. From what I can see and tell Rebecca Zama, is remaining so humble through the whole process of her gaining so much fame and notoriety. I can’t wait to see how far, her gifts will take her. Also, I love how she continues to incorporate her culture within her art. Stay tuned to see more from this beauty in the years to come. I hope that through this interview y’all can learn more about her and appreciate her journey. Xoxo - LadySergine

Just before the command to “Play ball” rang out on a late-summer Saturday afternoon, Zama stood by home plate sporting a David Ortiz jersey, black jeans, and gold high heels. She recalls feeling comfortable and assured because “I’m very connected when singing.”

This despite the echo that bounces back to singers performing in a stadium; Zama could hear her voice returning to her on a two-second delay.

“It’s distracting, but you just push through it,” said Zama, who received a thunderous ovation from the Fenway faithful. - Wicked Local

Music has always been a passion of mine, and I’ve known that I wanted to be a musician since I was a baby. My musical career began very early, I started singing and performing around Boston at the age of 3. It started because of my mother’s faith in me and my music. She has encouraged me to pursue my musical career and gives me all of the unconditional love and support I could ever hope for. She pushes me to be the best that I can be. Since a young age, I was exposed to both Haitian and Afro-Caribbean music as well as American music, especially R&B and soul, and those built the foundation for my musical taste and the music that I sing. I’ve mostly sung R&B and pop music, but this year has really shifted towards focusing more on the kompa/zouk scene. I’m mainly self taught and I’ve used each of my musical endeavors as a learning experience so that I can improve my craft. I also play the piano, which I’ve been doing for over 10 years. I am devoted to my musical career, it takes up all of my free time when I’m not at school. I perform constantly, and spend a lot of time writing new music as well. I released an album “Brighter Than the Sun” last year, which is all original music of Pop and R&B, and this year be ready to expect some new zouk/kompa music from me! - Kreyolicious

We are all about representing and supporting female creatives no matter what industry they’re in, but aside from the popular Kompa artist, we want to make sure we are sharing other amazing talents in the music industry. Today we’ve rounded up our first list of 10 dope Haitian female artists you need to know in 2017.

Rebecca Zama is a Boston based singer/songwriter/recording artist. Growing up, she found her passion in singing and in music. She has been performing publicly from the age of 3 all around Massachusetts in venues such as Symphony Hall, Ryles Jazz Club, Middle East Downstairs, and the Hard Rock Cafe. She specializes in R&B/Pop, but sings a bit of everything. She constantly tries a included bits of her Haitian heritage, of which she is proud, into her music.

Her inspirations include old time legends like Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald and Whitney Houston and new sensations like Beyonce, Rihanna, Jasmine Sullivan, and Emeli Sande. She had no formal training until 2011, where she started taking voice lessons to perfect her technique. Since a young age she discovered songwriting and the ability to translate her emotions onto paper and sing them, in her album “brighter than the sun”, a few of her original tracks like “Take it Slow” and “Can’t Get To Me” are featured. - Lunionsuite