Founded in 2000, Zili has been bridging cultures, generations, and continents for over 20 years. All female, Zili performs an acoustic & electronic fusion of roots music of the African diaspora. With captivating sounds that evoke the African continent, Zili retraces routes of forced exile and cultural resistance through diasporic rhythm and song. Powerful Haitian, Brazilian and West African rhythms infuse Zili’s original creations and traditional folksongs. Reconnecting Haitian mizik rasin, Jamaican roots reggae, Afro-Brazilian samba, Afro-Cuban son, and African American spirituals, blues, jazz, and neo soul, Zili Misik honors its influences while creating a sound that is uniquely its own: New World Soul.

Zili’s name comes from Haitian spiritual entity, “Ezili”, who is envisaged as mother, lover, and warrior, and is sibling of many Afri-Atlantic spiritual entities. Zili’s songs are sensual, political, self-reflective, positive, and invoke love. Zili’s lyrics glide seamlessly from English to Kreyol to Kriolu to Portuguese to Spanish, spinning tales and visions of lives lived and yet to be.

Among Zili’s honors, Zili Misik has won a Boston Music Award for Outstanding International Music, and won the Boston Phoenix and WFNX’s Best World Music Band, twice. Zili is featured on an episode of PBS’ nationally syndicated program, “Design Squad”. (You can check it out at www.pbskids.org/designsquad). Zili has been featured in the Boston Globe, the Boston Phoenix, the Boston Banner, the Metro, The Dig, TimeOut, and was chosen as one of the Boston Globe’s 25 Most Stylish People (2009).

Zili performs nationally and internationally, last traveling to Montreal, Canada, and to Washington, D.C. to perform at the National Gallery of Art. Amongst our performance highlights, Zili has been featured on NPR’s “Here & Now” — particularly focused on our continuing work to bring donated musical instruments to schools in Haiti, after the 2010 earthquake (look for “Here & Now” episodes, January & December 2011). Zili Misik has performed at multiple inaugurations of Boston Mayor Menino, and at NYC’s Lincoln Center. Zili is featured on the BBC’s and NPR’s Afro Pop Worldwide (April 2008). Zili is featured in the March/April 2008 issue of national Color Lines Magazine — www.colorlines.com! Zili is 2007 winner of ROCKRGRL’s and Berklee College of Music’s BATTLE of the All-FEMALE BANDS.

Zili has opened for M. Lauryn Hill, India.Arie, Shaggy, Boukman Eksperyans, Les Nubians, and Zap Mama, and has toured with Queen Omega (TYT), State Radio and Tony Brown (US); performed with Queen Ifrica (Jamaica) and Emeline Michel (Haiti); and performs regularly at colleges, schools, festivals, & performing arts venues throughout the United States and internationally.

Zili has an ongoing “Project Misik”, which began in August 2010, with the goal of collecting donated musical instruments and funds on behalf of the Gawou Ginou Foundation School and Cultural Center in Mirebalais, Haiti. After our first visit in 2010, in response to the earthquake in January, Zili members have continued to fundraise for and to visit Gawou Ginou; this relationship continues today. In 2021, ZIli has expanded our initial community building and musical healing efforts through “Project Misik” to communities in the U.S.

“Craigslist” and Berklee College of Music have brought most of Zili’s members, throughout our 21 years of existence. Current members of Zili include multiple percussionist/vocalist and founder Kera M. Washington, vocalist and steel pannist Becky Bass, sax player Ririka Tokushige, guitarist Lexi Havlin, bassist Ksenia Vasileva, drummer Ivanna Cuesta Gonzalez, and percussionist Heron Russell. Graduates of Berklee College of Music, Wellesley College, & Brown University, they bring the wealth of their professional and personal experiences, activating Zili’s rhythm, horn, and vocal sections.

Zili has long enjoyed collaboration with folkloric dancers, including with Isaura Oliveira, choreographer of Brazilian traditional dance, and with Peniel Guerrier & Jean Appolon, choreographers of Haitian folkloric dance. Nikita Carney and Ashley Freeman, members of Kenbe Fò, and graduates of Kera’s Yanvalou Drum and Dance Ensemble at Wellesley College (https://www.wellesley.edu/music/performanceprogram/ensembles/yanvalousubpage), have also brought Haitian folkloric dance to Zili’s performances. Working with Haitian choreographers both in NYC and in Haiti (particularly, Peniel Guerrier, Jean Appolon, and Joel), Kenbo Fò were also instrumental in helping with Zili’s “Project Misik”, 2012. Zili performances have also featured Melissa Alexis, who choreographs folkloric and modern dance.

Zili’s third CD, Cross Roads, is available, on iTunes, along with our second release, “Zee’lee Mee’seek”. Zili Misik’s debut CD, “New World Soul”, is available through www.zilimisik.com (as are all of our musical releases).

Bookings

WEST COAST BOOKINGS:

Doug Abrahams Sunrising Artists
www.sunrisingartists.com
480-839-5095