OnSean Zion: A Soulful Celebration at Tenderloin Museum (SF)

Submitted by the Event Organizer

Tenderloin resident OnSean Zion performs a suite of soulful music at the Tenderloin Museum as a way to share his struggle with and recovery from mental illness and homelessness, as well as to showcase his recently cultivated instrumental and orchestration skills. An interdisciplinary artist who worked as a competitive dancer, entertainer, and teacher for many years, OnSean has a rich artistic vision and ambitious drive to create and learn. Presented as part of TLM’s “Sounds of the Tenderloin” live music series, OnSean’s musical performance animates his time in the Tenderloin to tell a story of hope, resilience, and transformation.

A Soulful Celebration is the fruit of OnSean’s studies as well as of his recovery. He has assembled an eclectic repertoire that ranges from popular songs, classical melodies, Broadway numbers and spirituals. OnSean personally arranged each musical selection, re-casting these familiar songs with a sound he says is informed by his experiences growing up in Guyana, dancing salsa professionally, and overcoming hardship on the streets of San Francisco.

OnSean Zion will share his story and the songs of A Soulful Celebration in a solo performance, accompanied by lush backing tracks that he orchestrated himself, to demonstrate the range of his instrumental and compositional skills. Reflecting on this body of work he has honed while living in the TL and during the isolation of the pandemic, OnSean says, “I need to let people see that you’re NOT your mistakes. YES, life will knock you down, but you can’t stay there. Let’s get UP together, dream bigger, reach higher, always with love and unity.”

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