Today we’d like to introduce you to Zyla Sol.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’ve been singing from a very young age without much formal training and mostly learning from experience. One of the first times I sang in front of a crowd was when I was about 9 years old in the annual Nubian Nativity at the Roxbury Center for Performing Arts. I danced there for about 7 years, taking classes in jazz, hip-hop, African, and ballet. In middle school, I was in chorus and auditioned for the spring musical and got a lead role. From then on, I fell in love with musical theater because it encompassed all of my favorite arts—singing, dancing, and acting all in one. Years later, I spent one of my most memorable summers at the Center for Creative Youth at Wesleyan University That summer shifting my mindset of music as a hobby into something I should take seriously as a career. I was always an academic; I was a Steppingstone Scholar ’07, a program that helps urban students prepare and apply to independent and exam schools. I spent summers and weekends doing extra work like a total nerd to end up at Beaver Country Day School ‘11 from 6th-12th grade on financial aid. As I got older, I began to believe a career in music and becoming a struggling artist seemed to conflict with all of the hard work I put in academically. This conflict has been a struggle but, has also led me to a unique and fulfilling career path.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all, it has been quite the rollercoaster. I applied to music school for undergraduate and was accepted into Berklee College of Music. However, Smith College gave me more scholarship money and I thought a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts would give me employable security. At Smith, it took me a while to find my place as a musician. I was a lead singer in the jazz band, took theater, music, and dance classes. As a music major a Smith, I soon become frustrated that the music department seemed too classically focused without providing students enough performing opportunities. I ended up failing a music theory course, the first class I had ever failed, ever, in my life. I was distraught, because of all the classes, I never thought I would fail at a subject I was so passionate about. I auditioned for acapella groups which were popular on campus at the time but, was rejected by almost all of them, being told my voice was too “unique” and wouldn’t blend well with the group. Although I did not find my niche as an artist at Smith, I did find my place academically. After taking classes in African-American music and culture, and landing a summer job as a research assistant at Harvard University’s Hip-Hop Archive for the summer of my senior year, I switched my major to Afro-American studies and became a lot happier as a student. I graduated from Smith in 2015 and somewhere along the line, I let go of my ambition of becoming a performer and decided that I should just teach. I deeply missed singing as a healing therapy and artistic release so, I looked for a band to join on Craigslist as a side hobby. That was how I found the Fela inspired, Afro-funk fusion band Shokazoba in Northampton, MA. I was still not taking myself seriously as a musician and didn’t pay enough attention to the business aspect of being in the band as I should have. Years before I joined, the infamous band had been boycotted at Hampshire College for cultural appropriation and being “too white.” I had my reservations about being the front woman of an all-white, afro-beat band advertising itself as ‘conscious’. Nonetheless, I felt the words were meaningful to me and the music itself was powerful. We won the local talent show in the Valley, which included free professional studio time for a full length album and a music video but, I was asked to leave Shokazoba after winning. I was very upset at the situation but, my departure from the band brought rise to Yazyla Solstice. I moved to back to Boston, started an independent project and was offered a position back at the Hip-Hop Archive. Ultimately some of greatest failures have given me success.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Zyla Sol – what should we know?
I am an eclectic performing artist who goes by Zyla Sol, short for Yazyla Solstice. My first project is an R&B/Hip-Hop mixtape. I created the character as an homage to nature and spirituality. The solstice plays on the Gemini, dual aspect of Zyla’s personality. Zyla is a name that means “forest-dweller” in Greek and “reflective of one’s self”. The “Ya” added on, means of the most high or God, in Hebrew. I’ve explored many religions on my spiritual journey which have included the black isrealite movement, astrology Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, etc. I’ve pretty much gone through every religion, searching for truth and purpose. At the end of the day, I’ve come to realize that my beliefs don’t need a title. I’m been very obsessive about finding “the truth” about life in general and our purpose as humans on earth, how to navigate through a dichotomy of good and evil as an ongoing battle throughout the universe, and authenticity. Yazyla solstice is reflective of that journey and mixtape goes through three separate acts. It is available on compact disc which is old school; I wanted to emphasize the importance of it being a full story that’s to be listened to from beginning to end. My favorite albums, follow this format, “Frank’ by Amy Winehouse, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” by Lauryn Hill, “Baduizm” by Erykah Badu, and ‘To Pimp a Butterfly” Kendrick Lamar. I knew I needed to have skits, and play up on my theatre background. Many people advised me that our generation’s short attention span would not appreciate the effort but I have faith! I’ve had thoughts of turning it into an anime musical soundtrack, and linking up with a cartoonist but that would be pretty ambitious. When I first wrote Yazyla Solsitce, I totally envisioned this black sailor moon character. For now, I’m just focused on music.
I’ve decided to release the album on all streaming platforms (iTunes and Spotify) this coming Friday.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I feel that resilience is an important part of my success. Being able to look yourself in the mirror, see where you went wrong and get back up again is a necessity. Like Cardi B says, “Knock me down 9 times but I get up 10”. Coming back from mistakes and tuning out all of the noise, negativity has been essential. You have to have tough skin but still be empathic to others. It’s a hard balance deciphering what energies to entertain and what to just ignore. When you realize the world is you against you, rather than you against the world, it becomes a lot easier. You also have to work hard but not so hard that you ignore your health and wellbeing. It’s all about balance.
Pricing:
- My mixtape/album is available for $10 on compact disc
- Also available for $7 as a digital download
Contact Info:
- Website: zylasol.bandcamp.com
- Email: yazylasolstice@gmail.com
- Other: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/boston-got-next-ft-zyla-sol-music-tickets-48601142325?aff=eac2
Image Credit:
Dreana LeMaitre for photography insta: shotsxdjl
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