We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Zion Sosa. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Zion below.

Zion, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

Every idea starts with a spark somewhere and a love or passion for something. In my case, it was a new found love for Latin jazz, salsa, etc. I studied jazz performance at Northern Kentucky University. One of the classes I took was a Latin jazz combo. This was my first introduction to this music and I immediately fell in love. Not so far after this began I looked for music around town to go see. I went and found a Latin jazz band named Mambo Combo that would play every first Thursday of the month at a jazz club called The Greenwich. I went to go see them as much as I could. Then I thought about starting my own band. Once I had the idea, I went to a professor told them my idea and asked how to start. In that meeting I was immediately shot down and told that I wouldn’t be able to do it. After that conversation, it ignited a fire in me to do it anyway and prove them wrong. I began to seek out as much information as I could get from my peers and then I started making calls. I asked friends of mine from that Latin jazz combo if they would be interested. I also asked some musicians that were at CCM as well. Once I recruited a band, I immediately thought “we need videos to send out to clubs”. I had another friend at northern help us get some good video recordings of us playing to be able to send to club owners. After that it just became second nature. I would send an email to every and any club. Put together the music, figure out the money, etc. I do want to say the band members helped with writing and transcribing the music which was helpful. It definitely became a project I think we were all passionate about so that made it even easier to excel in multiple directions. It has always been a lot of work, but I believe when it’s something you love and are passionate about it makes it easier to put in the work. Of course you have obstacles like anything, but I’m glad to have great friends and play with amazing, supportive musicians. Cincinnati is filled with so many amazing musicians it’s just such a great community. That’s the story of El Ritmo Del Mañana. It’s one of my favorite stories to tell. Also one of the things I am most proud of. I hope to continue working with it and making things happen!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My craft is music. I was introduced to music much later than most of my peers. I started playing my sophomore year of high school. I moved from California to Kentucky the summer before my freshman year. It was a very big change for me and I didn’t really know anyone going into my new school. I ended up making friends with a girl that was in band. She told me that I should join band to make friends and that they were going on a trip to New York in the Winter. I told her that I had no musical experience and have never played and instrument. That day we went to the band director of my high school and asked him if I could join. As hesitant as he was, he decided that he would put me in the percussion section because that might be the easiest instrument for me to start on. Once I started learning and playing, I fell in love with making music. It was something that I will forever be thankful to that girl, Lina, for forcing me to join the high school band. From then on, I made it a priority in my life, making sure to work hard and get as many different experiences as I could. I auditioned for almost any outside youth music ensembles I could join to be exposed to other musicians my age and different music as well. That’s how I got started in music. I think El Ritmo was the next thing in music that I felt that same spark and passion I felt when I first found music. El Ritmo is a fun project because it’s fueled by passion. A lot of people have passion projects too and that not unique, but something I think lacked in Cincinnati was more groups solely focused on Latin jazz. I didn’t really see a lot and I wanted to start my own group and offer more exposure to that music to surrounding audiences. Another thing that became important for this group is original music. I really wanted to give a place for the people in the group including myself to bring in music they wrote and have it played. There are so many skilled composers/arrangers in this area which I saw from other peoples projects around town. So that is something I try to continue pushing for and make a big part of what we play because I think it’s so amazing to hear what people create. Writing original music is so magical. There are 12 notes and so many different tunes are created with those 12 notes it’s crazy to think about. Something else about my brand (because El Ritmo is definitely a brand at this point(or at least that’s how I think about it) is that it started off with young musicians, hence the name The Rhythm of Tomorrow(the English translation). There is a distinct sound of Latin jazz and I wanted to take that sound and use it, but also create something unique to the group that people could enjoy. That was always the goal.. if we have obtained that I’m not really sure haha, but that is what I hope people think of this group.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

I think this is probably the simplest answer that some people might still not understand.. but pay your musicians. Something I noticed coming in so late to the scene is how much work it takes to be extremely skilled and well versed as a jazz musician. It is a rigorous profession. I try my hardest to pay my musicians what I can afford, but also what they deserve. I have invested a lot of my own money into this band, but it has always paid off in the end. I think it’s a part of any small business. Also this is not an original answer, but it is something that became a no brainer for me. There is an interview of the great Duke Ellington and someone asks him how he keeps his band together and he gives the exact same answer. Another huge part of I think any business, but also relationships in general, is kindness and compassion. I very much always strive for it to feel less like work or business and more like a family.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I could very much talk about specific stories of having to make hard decisions about members of the band, dealing with club owners trying to short me on pay, etc, but I think telling it from a broader view describes my resilience. I very much have not had the easiest come up, but a good majority the world hasn’t. I have faced immense hardships and struggles starting very early in my life. Music provided a safe space to help me heal and overcome that past and life that many people are dealt with. I started El Ritmo my second year of college while working two part time jobs. I think it helped me get through all of it. Life is a roller coaster and there are always hardships that will come about. I think I am proud of the fact that I was able to be a first gen graduate, provide for myself, and continue to grow El Ritmo as a business. I know that’s not very specific and maybe even pretty generic, but I think that’s all I am comfortable sharing on a public platform. I am most certainly always happy to provide some support or advice for anyone who is going through any hard times. Trying to continue working hard at something you love while facing those hardships isnt easy, life gets in the way, other priorities take over, but it is very much worth it to keep going and can even helps with other things you may face going through life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://elritmodelmanana.wixsite.com/mysite
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/el_ritmo_del_manana/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/elritmodelmananamusic
• Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/@elritmodelmanana9674

Image Credits
Album Cover Photo shot by: Vanessa Keeton