Zaena Morisho

Zaena Morisho who is currently based in Los Angeles, is a singer-songwriter, recording artist, and performer who was born in the DR Congo and raised in Houston Texas. Zaena sings in English, Swahili, Lingala, Nyaja, Shona, and some French. Zaena released her debut Pop-Afro Pop album “Break the Surface” in 2012 and followed that up, toward the end of 2014, with the 6-track Ep, “You Don’t Know”. Her hit song “Ur Love”, has received over 1 million views on Youtube.

Recently, several pop singers from across the pond have been making it in the US. The first song I heard by Zaena, “Gimme All Your Love”, is what initially piqued my interest. But then I realized that she has this twisted little edge that makes her much more mysterious than many of the usual female dance music artists. She adds a layer of African complexity to solid and enjoyable dance/pop music.

Running through each track, at times I imagine a joyous harlequin is singing, at times I see a femme fatale, at times I hear the vulnerable Zaena come out, but at the end of the day Zaena Morisho simply owns each song. She possesses such confidence, that she’s unafraid to play around with her voice, her image, as well as music styles. And she also has a natural swagger that enables her to pull off even some of the more unusual choices on the album.

As for music styles on “You Don’t Know”-everything is in the pop/dance idiom with undeniable, exotic African influences, which is actually quite fresh sounding, in a music market full of people who are attempting similar things. It’s more subtle and hypnotic than most mainstream music -yet much more hard-hitting and catchy than a lot of indie pop-dance artists.

At the end of the day, this is simply a great pop-dance record that offers something different and there is no doubt that Zaena Morisho is one to be watched (literally too, as she is pure eye-candy).

Normally I scoff at people, who try to predict the next big thing, but I can’t help but hear Zaena and think –“this is the future”. She’s got the skills, confidence and most importantly she seems to have the determination to stand out.

The highlight tracks are obviously the danceable club bangers “Gimme All Your Love” and “Play My Song”, but I particularly liked the mid-tempo bump of “Batteries” and the slow burner “Until The Sky Falls”.
BIO

Zaena Morisho / Candle (Billberg Ent.)A truly global new Christmas song that arrived just in time before the Christmas holidays.The song “Candle” was created in a songwriting collaboration spanning several continents.Swedish songwriter Eva Nordell, African born artist Zaena Morisho and the Austrian born, award winning writer/producer Peter Roberts came together in Los Angeles to create a very energetic new Christmas song that merges current Pop, RnB and EDM elements into a very unique and memorable piece of music that gives the typical Christmas song genre an entirely new twist. “Candle” received extensive airplay and held Top 20 positions in various RnB/Hip Hop and Indie Pop charts and was among the top 200 most played songs of 2014.
“Rock the Natural” the latest project, in order of release byZaena Morisho is meant to empower ladies of all races types to embrace their natural bodies. “You are beautiful just as you are!” says Zaena. This is a wonderful track. She has such a great voice and if you watch videos of her, she is great there too!

Zaena Morisho may seem like just another name in what seems an endless list of female electro pop singers, but apart from her refreshing honesty, what makes her stand out is the sheer passion in her vocal delivery, the pristine beats, and the tight songwriting. “Rock the Natural” is no exception.

It’s the kind of glorious, hook filled single that artists of this genre only wish they could make. The song is immediate and at the same time uplifting, with a hand-clapping chorus sweet as sugar that does not wear thin after repeated listens. Zaena’s production team continues its consistent textured production with this track!

I am also aware that the song is most likely therapeutic for the women who can relate to what she is singing about, but above all it is lively, danceable and joyous. Zaena Morisho is definitely on the rise here. The lyrics of are prompt, to the point and cohesive, while her voice is like a drug because you will become addicted to her exotic diction and tone. If you want to a sensory experience of swirling synths, deep basses and sexy proportions, “Rock the Natural” is your song

Rock The Natural