Multi dimensional sound and the idea of genre blending are certain caveats music journalists will throw right before introducing an artist. It's simply because genre's evolve and artists are always three steps ahead of labels. For Ethiopian-born, Whistler, British Columbia-based artist ZADA, her shows take the soul of R&B the electricity of rock, the groove of Afro beats and ties it together and before you know it the spot where you first planted your first to first look up is 10 people away and you're moving on automatic.
ZADA took to Swan Dive on March 11th to showcase to Austin her dynamic sound accompanied with the help of one drummer, one guitar phenom, a keyboardist, and a switch hitter keyboard guitarist. What ensued: magic.
ZADA's thick combat boots stumped across the Swan Dive stage. The performer's back is to the busy Red River Street and only the front glass separates the sound of Atlantic Times the opening track of the night.
Atlantic Times dominant drums made for a stellar introduction to the pop that ZADA has to offer as an artist. It was also the opening track to their debut album WATER IN THE DESERT. The paramount first album was released on March 1, only 10 days before this performance.
The growing artist lamented on the growth as a performer, basking in on the progress made and the monumental achievement of releasing such a first project.
"The first time I did a show, there was a bottle of water -- taking a second to drink from her cup-- and I accidentally poured it all over my face... I got told, 'maybe lets sip.' ... We've grown a little bit since then."
ZADA's first project is deeply personal, to a degree that is often intimating to a young artist. The levels of authenticity could possibly be achieved through ZADA's growth, well documented across the 25 minute project.
Be Somebody Else, a track that brought crowd silence to Swan Dive for maybe the first time that night showcased a singer desperate to change who they are. Comforted by the fact that ZADA is now "in a better place than when I wrote that," the Austin audience was able to appreciate the delicate words that ZADA shared with us.
ZADA's instrumentation brought an exhilarating atmosphere to Swan Dive. Each stick banging against a snare or cymbal was felt in the rib cage of the audience pushing them to dance. ZADA's energy is infectious and she carried the power of her performance all the way to the end.
Walls marked the end of the set, before she gave her last song of the night ZADA said, "next song is a favorite to perform live because I can get really into it."
She did.