ZonaSun was born in 2003 by the impulse of Tom Siddh, a visually impaired songwriter, producer, singer and keyboard player. He is the heart and mind of this conscious reggae project, keeping its roots heart and playing a modern sound with dub, soul and urban influences.
ZonaSun was the first reggae band from Ticino, the Italian-speaking region in the south of Switzerland. The many live performances (almost 300 concerts) in various venues and festivals in Switzerland and neighboring Italy, with a few episodes also in France, helped the band grow and acquire experience and solidity.
In 2006, they participated in the final stages of the European Reggae Contest at Rototom Sunsplash Festival in Italy. In 2008, the audience and the quality jury of the Palco ai Giovani music competition in Lugano, Switzerland, awarded ZonaSun with the first place. The band then also won the Let Your Sound Shine contest on the Reggae.ch website, earning the honor and opportunity to perform on the same stage as great international artists such as Shaggy, Alborosie, Ce'Cile and Tiken Jah Fakoly at Reeds Festival in Pfäffikon, Switzerland.
In 2008, ZonaSun released the debut album Subliminal Love followed in 2011 by Shiny Red. Both albums were self-produced and got a good response among fans. Some singles were played by Swiss radio stations and occasionally still find a spot in their playlists.
After the release of the second album, ZonaSun had a long series of concerts. Then, the live activity was reduced to allow Tom Siddh to find the right balance and the right creative drive following the worsening of his visual difficulties. Fortunately, in 2016 he found the band's historic bassist Jacques Shamano, with whom started an assiduous collaboration and renovated the Wise Monkey Studio. Thanks to his help and some devices accessible to people with visual impairments, Tom Siddh was able to develop new production strategies to find a good work flow, further refining and developing his skills and style.
In December 2019 the single Coming Home was finally released, representing the first example of this renewed sound. Between digital and analogue, keeping up with the times but remembering the roots and the warmth, the new sound reflects Tom Siddh’s sensitivity and lyrics' social commitment, enhancing his timbre and vocal style.
On the live front there has been an evolution aimed at bringing new productions live, moving from a 7-piece band to a more streamlined lineup, thanks to the use of technology at the service of music. The result is a quartet that blends more classic sounds such as flute, electric guitar, bass and keyboards, with synth interventions and live sequences. When it comes to drums, electronic kicks and snares coexist with more organic sounds. All colored by effects such as echoes and reverberations, typical of dub music, created by Tom Siddh himself during live performances.
The recent partnership with the Italian producer Princevibe has allowed
the sound of ZonaSun to gain a further level. Now, 20 years after the beginnings of the project, new productions are being released and during 2024 they will follow one another, giving life to an EP and then to an entire album, which will not fail to touch the spirit and move the body of the listener.
