Zahili Gonzalez Zamora
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Zahili Gonzalez Zamora
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Zahili Gonzalez Zamora is a pianist, composer, bandleader, arranger, and educator. Born in Manzanillo, Cuba, she started playing piano at the age of 6 and graduated from the National School of Music with a performance degree. She feels most defined by her Cuban heritage and her status as an immigrant. Her passion for music has taken her to Canada, Southeast Asia, and now to the United States, a land of immigrants. She is always moving forward, guided and driven by her music and the need to grow as an artist and a person—to share her music and her love of life with others. She aspires to inspire and to be a messenger for a journey that is not only her own, but deeply resonates with others. She’s an artist who is out of her comfort zone—her home—for the sake of her work. Her rich musical background, career experience, and extraordinary improvisation skills make her a leader in the modern Latin jazz idiom and an influential, emulated musician.
In 2018, with funding from The Boston Foundation, her Afro-Cuban jazz trio, MIXCLA, released its self-titled album, which featured her original tunes and arrangements. It has since received critical acclaim and earned the attention of major agents locally and internationally. The album also earned two nominations from the Boston Music Awards in 2018 and 2019.