Zana

Zāna is a singer-songwriter and versatile musician with a soulful and sultry voice. Originally from Oakland, CA, with Lebanese and Serbo-Croatian roots, she currently resides and performs in NYC. As a multi-instrumentalist, her distinct writing style incorporates melodies and rhythms from different genres, such as Arabic, Latin, Balkan, RnB, and other influences to create what she calls her “Gypsy Pop” sound, enabling her to flaunt her hip-shaking belly dancing moves while performing. In 2016 Zāna earned a BA in Professional Music from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. Her debut EP, The Beauty of Zora, is a play on her first name “Zana” meaning “Beauty” in Arabic and her middle name “Zora” meaning “Dawn” in Serbo-Croatian. Most importantly, it’s a dedication to her Nana Zora, who suffered from schizophrenia. Zora was brilliant and beautiful, and—like many of us—had her mental health struggles. Zāna addresses some of her own mental health struggles in the EP, such as anxiety, depression, paranoia, and, in turn, insomnia. The thread that ties her music together is the strength that comes with being vulnerable. It’s important to her that her music brings you comfort, joy, and the free-spirited attitude to showcase your killer dance moves. Instruments: vocals, drumkit, Arabic percussion (i.e. darbuka, riq, sājāt) and guitar.