ZULAN has been ingrained in the New York music scene ever since she was a kid. The Argentinian American grew up in both Buenos Aires and New York during her adolescence, but to this day still calls the five boroughs her home.
She would listen to local artists like ASAP Rocky and Sheck Wes while also finding any mosh pit that she could.
Before long, ZULAN would go from listening to local artists to becoming one herself.
She started posting videos of herself DJ’ing and they took off over time. Now, the New York City native has become a DJ and producer, starting in the city at first, where she played her first show, but has since reached a broader audience that has sent her to new heights.
“New York is always so special to me because it feels like I’m coming home,” ZULAN said. “I did my first ever event here, so this is where everything started for me. I just did Webster Hall, my last show here, which is right next to my high school, and I’m playing at Brooklyn Paramount in the fall, which will be my biggest show yet. I’m so nervous, but I’m so excited. The crowds here, the energy is so special.”
ZULAN has found herself performing in different countries around the world and gaining a following. ZULAN has garnered more than 400 thousand Instagram followers, while performing at some of the country’s biggest shows like Coachella.
“She’s put in so much work to where she’s at now, which is why I commend her,” Ronaldo Ayala, who does social media and activations for Classic Football Shirts, said. “She literally works her craft to the bone. She puts everything-her blood, sweat and tears to everything that she does, and she does it for the community as well. She always wants everybody to be around her. She doesn’t like it to be just her, She wants the [soccer] community. She wants the music community with her.”
The performer can be seen wearing soccer jerseys during her shows and last week was a chance for her to put both of her passions of soccer and music together.
On July 11, ZULAN hosted ZUCASA at The Ground, a soccer space in Chinatown. The free event was created by ZULAN & brought to life with Nike, bringing a piece of Argentina to New York, with food from her Argentine restaurant – Buenos Aires, Argentinian drinks, music and exclusive merch.
“ZUCASA was an idea that Nike came to us with and we loved it right away,” The Ground co-owner Jeremy Bolger said. “She represents this very strong convergence of soccer, music, fashion, and community, so it just seemed like a natural fit. We first started doing live music when we met Robbie with Full Kit and from there we had so many different bands and DJs wanting to perform at our space. But for us, it was always important that the tie to the game was strong and served as the focal point.”
This year’s World Cup is the first in more than 30 years to be on American soil, which has helped bring the game to the United States. The last World Cup helped launch Major League Soccer and ZULAN has liked seeing the energy that the wave of people the tournament has brought.
“The World Cup in the United States is a crazy experience,” ZULAN said. “I didn’t know what to expect, but it makes me really happy as somebody who tries to spread that energy because I’m hoping that you know [soccer] culture here is more alive, and I feel that way.”
The way she has seen the way the city has been is the exact way Bolger wanted the space to be used when it first opened. One of the homes for those watch parties has become The Ground NYC. The Chinatown venue has become a place to help grow the game. The space hosts pickup soccer games twice a week and has hosted two watch parties.
“I think it has just shown that there is a way to make a space and create events that really unify the community as a whole,” Bolger said. “No matter your age or ethnicity or political stance. My business partner always says there are good people and there are bad people. We want the good ones and we are in this for the long haul.”
However, while the vibes and the music were a part of the event, the main course was the game at hand.
The watch party focused on Argentina’s quarterfinal game against Switzerland, which saw Lionel Messi and company punch their ticket to their third semifinal appearance in the last four tournaments with a 3-1 win after extra time.
Now the team is one step closer to back-to-back World Cup wins after multiple nail-biters, but the run has been fun to watch for ZULAN.
“It’s written in the stars,” ZULAN said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s not always pleasant. It’s quite a stressful experience. I just went to the game in Atlanta with Egypt, and I was sitting with my head between my hands, thinking like this is actually Messi’s last game with the national team, and we’re out of the tournament. So you suffer a lot, and it’s a roller coaster. But yeah, it’s written in the stars. Honestly, the team is so special.”
Additional reporting by Dylan Christie.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.amny.com ’
