Fusion Poet​

Lady Zen is a fusion poet and visionary force who possesses the powerful vocal agility of a mezzo-soprano and the prowess of vibrant storyteller. Her legacy as a performer is unmistakable.

 

Her art combines the emotive tones of jazz; the soul stirring power of gospel; the drama and pageantry of Kabuki Theater and Opera; and the swagger of Brazilian samba, with the mastery of new and old forms of poetry.

 

Her voice has been heard in various outfits in the United States, Canada, and stages across Europe and Brazil. Collaborating with national and internationally known organizations, hip-hop artists, house DJ’s, and producers, her music is a unique blend of high art with commercial appeal.

 

Her writing fuses with visual art forms such as fashion, typography, film, drawing, sculpture, dance, and photography.

 

 

 

  Born of an Amazonian Indian Mother and Afro-Brazilian father, with the blood of warriors, running through generations that vein into a history as deep as the soil of South America, Alzenira Santos Amaral, was the first in her

family to be adopted and brought to America in the mid ‘70s.

 

As an infant, placed in an orphanage at 11 months old, a missionary family stationed in Maringa, Parana; S.A. decided to bring her home. Her adopted father left the Amish tradition as a youth and later felt called to do mission work in Brazil. He, his wife, and his two children left Michigan to build a boarding school and mission.

 

The Glick family moved to Arkansas where young (Alzenira) Sheri Joy Glick became a vocal prodigy, singing in churches and revivals between the ages of 7-18. Winning over 60 vocal competitions, appearing on TV, and at festivals; the young vocalist became a dynamic performer with a charismatic stage presence. Even then she possessed an impressive talent and natural ability to connect with people.

After being awarded a J. William Fulbright Scholarship for Opera Performance, at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, Sheri performed alongside William Warfield of the original motion picture, Showboat, and Daisy Newman of "Porgy and Bess" as a Master’s Class student.

 

 

In addition, Shari (changed the “e” to an “a” to reflect the letter of her first name) was the principal songwriter and lead vocalist for her first band, Liquid Blue, which was a queer rock band that produced seven full-length recordings and toured north as far as Kanas.

 

She began practicing the craft of writing as, MC Z, a member of the Female Hip-Hop Alliance in Olympia, Washington. Which lead to the development of Lady Zen during years spent with the Hip-Hop Shop All-Stars in Athens, Ohio and working with the Ohio University’s Hip-Hop Congress.  

 

All the while, Lady Zen sang in several different outfits in major jazz houses throughout the US and Brazil. She became a worker-owner of a slow-food restaurant that was featured on a national cooking show, and worked to inspire at-risk youth to use their experiences to push forward through the arts.

 

But Lady Zen dropped out of the scene as a front woman to focus primarily on Casa Nueva as a marketing coordinator. She hid her talent for writing and producing for nearly four years. 

 

After moving to Portland, Maine in 2007, she began working on the Marriage Campaign as a field organizer for Equality Maine, and developed into a spoken word artist and fusion poet. Lady Zen weaved in and out of the slam poetry scene until her creative focus was renewed and she began writing work which represents her gender, art, and craftsmanship.

 

In 2010, she legally changed her name back to Alzenira Santos Amaral Quezada. Later that year, she released a five-track EP entitled Poverty to Poetry, and appeared on stages with such notable musicians as Kurtis Blow and

Gil Scott Heron.

 

With three of her most popular fusion poems: Like Water, Faith, Hope and Love and I can Have Whatever I Want, in heavy rotation; she gained notoriety and assembles skilled musicians to compose music that reflects the stylistic power of formulaic poetry. Her work has been featured at Merrill Auditorium, The State Theater, The Bar Harbor Jazz Festival, Good Morning Maine, 207 WCSH channel 6 news, WMPG Lesbian Radio, and One Longfellow Square.

 

Her work has been commissioned by the Maine Center for Creativity for its inaugural gala honoring actress Glenn Close and David Shaw; Art Not Hate, The Institute for Civic Leadership, and Sustainable Harvest International. Lady Zen has had the honor of being asked to sing the national anthem for President Obama, and auditioned as a semi-finalist for Season Four of the X-Factor.

 

Working predominately with producer and composer Dan Capaldi for high-level clientele, Lady Zen has also recorded with The Lazy Susans, The Gentlemen Acronym, Hipstersexual, and Mosart212. This fall she will be filming her first full-length poetry video in conjunction with Moving Circle Pictures and the African Cultural Museum. She will also make an appearance at Gay Pride in Amsterdam.

 

Lady Zen is a graduate of The Evergreen State College with a degree in Arts Marketing, and is working on an MFA in Creative Writing with a focus on Poetry at Stonecoast at the University of Southern Maine. She continues to evolve as a writer, instructor, art director, and activist.

Stonecoast Student       Talent  Show

Photo by Helen Peppe

Lady Zen

for Dapper Q.

Photo by Judy Tallion

Portland Music Awards 2011

         Best Jazz Act