Andrew Zapanta was born in the river town of Nyack, NY. His diverse lineage traces its roots to Russia, Portugal, Spain, China, Germany, Poland and the Philippines. At the age of sixteen, he began writing songs and playing the guitar, bass, piano and drums. A self-proclaimed renaissance man, Andrew also studied drawing, painting and sculpture at SUNY Purchase and in Florence, Italy.
A vagabond of sorts, Andrew has traveled about the globe to points such as Spain, Switzerland, France and the Philippines. He has lived on both coasts and spent three years across the Atlantic in Manchester, England. During his time in England, he continued to exhibit his artwork, write music and perform solo gigs in and around Manchester. Venues included Revise, Night & Day, the Contact Theatre, regular performances at The Iguana Bar as well as a solo performance at The Festival of Light in Edenfield.
During the same period, he was also a percussionist for The Urban Gypsies, a belly dance ensemble which performed at festivals and workshops across England.
Andrew has continued to perform solo shows in New York City at The Bitterend, CB's Downstairs Lounge, CB' Gallery & the Jonathan Shorr Gallery in SoHo. He was also the singer/songwriter and guitarist for the New York City-based rock band SNUG, along with drummer Aaron Kent and bassist Teru Fujita. NYC performances included The Emergenza Festival, LIT Lounge, The Knitting Factory, The Lions Den, Ace of Clubs & Don Hill's.
In December 2005, Andrew released his debut solo album "Avocado Pilgrims" for which he was named "Best Songwriter 2006" by International Online Music Magazine. In April 2006, he released a new solo acoustic EP, "Thieves. He is currently finishing his second album, "Bring the Sun" and residing in Brooklyn, NY.
LATEST REVIEW:
The sound and tone of Andrew Zapanta's first solo effort, Avocado Pilgrims, can be summed up thusly:
If Lenny Kravitz and Norah Jones had a love child, who they then sent off to a boarding school in the Caribbean, and then who in turn roomed with Elliot Smith and developed a penchant for genre-defining bands like The Beatles and Nirvana, perhaps he would have grown up to create an album along the lines of Avocado Pilgrims.
Infused with delicate harmonies, layered sound, and island rhythms, Zapanta offers up ten songs to inspire the mind and cleanse the heart.
Derby Rd., the second track, is a prime example of the album's philosophy of redemption and forgiveness:
It was simple just to walk away/
Even smile and shake his hand/
When he hit me on Derby Road.
Thought maybe I broke my leg/
In the end it was just a scratch.
The albumís fourth track, Orange&Blue, continues to liberate the listener from the albatrosses of doubt and regret. The strength of his lyrics nicely abets this task:
Count my blessings and take a step towards the sun/
Close my eyes, I still see one.
Wilted dreams, well what do they matter?
Orange & blue will become my favorite colors again/
And when they do, this means love.
All in all, Avocado Pilgrims is Rock without the flannel, Reggae minus the insurgency, Folk without the tremolo, Pop sans the sugar rush. Avocado Pilgrims is a 43-minute oasis in an otherwise troubled afternoon. What more could you ask?
Side effects may include unfettered optimism, a renewed sense of purpose, and in some extreme cases, the ability to spot the silver lining in even the darkest of clouds.
-Nov 2005. meatgrindermemos.com
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