Zambonja combines solo live drums, percussion, keyboards, and guitars, with backing tracks, along with a fully animated band of up to a dozen musician cartoon characters. We play a variety of rhythm-heavy, very danceable music from around the world, with an emphasis on percussion and audience participation of all ages. Yes, it sounds a little goofy, but it works. It's also a helluva lot less hassle and headache than a fully human 12 piece band! Zambonja is the culmination of a lifetime of music and travel by Grammy-nominated percussionist, and award-winning journalist and educational animator, myself, Mark Giles. I had been developing this solo production in 2019 at Akadi West African Food, an excellent restaurant in Portland, Oregon. Then covid hit so I took the project back to development and made it even bigger, with the full-size band I always imagined I could produce. I can perform live shows for schools and colleges, clubs, casinos, resorts, and cruises, where I can present a captivating and informative production to suit any audience. I can also produce custom animations and characters for weddings, conventions, and special events. Unfortunately, in this day and age, to put a real human twelve-piece band together is an economically unsustainable and logistic nightmare. With this 2D band, I can conduct a very full sound with all the colors of a full orchestra, yet cost much less to produce.
