ZHONU "NUI" LODEN MZALI MOON
A.K.A
FUTURE roots
Some of Zhonu's live performance credits include concerts with International music icons FEMI KUTI , EBO TAYLOR, YOTHU YINDI, MULATU ASTAKE , HORACE ANDY , SCIENTIST, CARL COX, LUCIANO , BAMBINO and JBOOG . And well as a broad selection of Excellent Australian acts including BLACK SORROWS , PUBLIC OPINION AFRO ORCHESTRA ,THE BLACK JESUS EXPERIENCE, BLAKIVISM & AIRILEKE , BART WILLOUGHBY, COOL OUT SON, JAKE SAVONA ( HAVANA MEETS KINSTON ) .REMI and SAMPA THE GREAT .
As a MULTI INSTRUMENTALIST / DJ and PRODUCER with many guises Future Roots has at his command a broad palette of instrumentation including a large array of traditional percussion instruments and drum kits from around the world, and more contemporary ways of forging sound through the use of synthesisers, programming and DJing. He has also had extensive experience in the recording studio environment. An has participation in over 45 professional recordings, an has extensive knowledge and application of music composition ,studio engineering equipment and skills.
The music played by Future Roots reflects a rich life journey that has allowed him to be able to draw directly on his experiences of having seen and connected with so many cultures and ways of life through travel and music. Future Roots view of the world and the music he makes has been strongly influenced by his upbringing in Australia and India by his Moroc- can/Ghanian father and Australian mother; travelling across Asia, Africa the Middle East and Europe in his formative years; time spent in his ancestral homeland of North and West Africa; as well as his connection to traditional and emerging cultures closer to home in the Australasian/Pacific region.
Along side his own DIGITAL AFRIKA live electronic , percussion and dance trio ,making waves in 2019 with a debut EP release on Wonder wheel records NYC And follow up re- leases the 4 track ASIKO EP as well as the GNAWA EP ( featuring remix’s from Jose Mar- quez & Teymori ) And the full length Album HEART OF DRUMS realised in 2022 on the Awesome Sound Waves ( Carl Cox and Chris Coe ) record label.
Zhonu also directs the 12 piece TONY ALLEN EXPERIENCE afro beat orchestra.
A tribute and celebration of the great Nigerian Afrobeat drummer , innovator and musical director .
Tony Allen was an Integral part of development of the genre during the formative years of Fela Kuti’s Africa 70 Band. He then went on to release groundbreaking solo and collaborative albums for the next 40 years .. that helped cement Afrobeat as a worldwide genre. And made him an in- ternational drumming icon , celebrated by audiences and musicians alike .
This band celebrates this body of work with songs from selected eras going back to his 1970’s material. As well as a few special unreleased collaborations with Melbourne based Musical director Zhonu ‘Nui’ Moon from an upcoming release.
Nui has assembled a power house band of some the countries best afro and jazz musi- cians. And featured vocalists : Thando Sikwali, NFA ,Jason Hearra , Bobby Alu and Cazeau Oslo.
ZHONU'S PROFESSIONAL WORK SPANS Tours, concerts and/or studio recordings in Ethiopia, Holland, Germany, Switzerland ,Senegal, England, Spain, France,Turkey, Belgium, Greece, Italy, India, Denmark, Slovakia, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia , Morocco, Canada and the U.S.
He has participated in and run, numerous educational Music workshop through out Australia including at indigenous communities.
Also participated in a Papuan New Guinean Project for World Vision Australia, for the recording and production of a music album of remote indigenous Papuan tribes.
EDUCATION AN MENTORS
GREG SHEENENS (early mentor ) 1991/1995
DR RAMA KRISHNA
Tabla ,Pondicherry School Of Karnatic Music , Tamil Nadu ,India 1998
PAPE FAYE ,Mandingo an Saba traditional instruments and
rhythms ,National Ballet Of Senegal ,Senegal 1999/2000
CECIL CARTER
Conga's Afro cuban tradition rhythms ,Nyabingi Jamaican devotional rhythms ,Amsterdam/ New York City 2003/2005
AIRIE INGRAM
Melanesian and Polynesian traditional instruments and rhythms ,PNG/ Australia 2007/2014
"CHANGUITO" JOSE LUIS QUINTANA
Timbale's ,Salsa an afro Cuban traditional rhythms ,Havana ,Cuba 2013 YAROLDY ABREU
Conga's Afro Cuba traditional rhythms ,Havana ,Cuba 2013
DRESISER BAILA
Bata's ,tradition Yoruba chants and rhythms ,Havana ,Cuba 2013
BASSIDI KONE
Djembe and Dunduns , Bamako , Mali 2022
KALIFA KONE
Balafon ,Bamako , Mali 2022
SELECTED CONCERT HI LIGHTS 2019
14.12 Meredith Music Festival ( Digital Afrika ) AUS
30.11 Strawberry Fields Festival ( Digital Afrika ) AUS
16.11 Cool Out Sun /REMI - Corner Hotel ( Future Roots ) AUS
23.10 Bombino Concert - UC Theatre Berkeley Cali ( Future Roots ) USA
18.10 WonderWheel Event - Nublu NYC ( Future Roots ) USA
11.10 Gnawa soul - Cultural Centre Essaouira ( Future Roots ) MORROCCO
04.10 Season Opening - Kaschemme Club Basel ( Future Roots ) SWISS
11.09 MULATU ASTAKE Concert - Major Office Addis ETHIOPIA
31.08 FEMI KUTI with Public Opinion Afro Orchestra - Max Watts AUS
23.08 Future Roots Afro Soundsystem - Night Cat AUS
27.07 Support Sharam Jay - Old Man’s BALI
06.07 Disko Afrika co Presented By Russell Simmons - Titi Butu BALI
14.06 Digital Afrika EP Launch with Zepherin Saint - Night Cat AUS
30.05 Digital Live on RRR radio -Melbourne AUS
28.03 Cool Out Sun at The National Gallery - Melbourne AUS
08.03 Womadeliade Festival - ( Digital Afrika ) AUS
26.01 Rainbow Serpent Festival ( Digital Afrika ) AUS
SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS 2021-2022
28.01 The Tony Allen Experience (directed by Future roots ) - Melbourne Music Week 06.02 Cool Out Sun - Footscray arts centre
28.28 Digital Afrika @PURE Carl Cox - Sydney myer Music Bowl AUS
03.04 Blaktivism - Sydney Myer Music Bowl AUS
30.07 Root Bound festival -Dj Future Roots - Townville AUS
27.08 Orin Aya Festival - Dj Future Roots - the Daintree AUS
17.09 Mushroom Valley Festival - Dj Future Roots - Ariley Beach AUS
29.10 Island Vibes Festival - Dj Future Roots - Stradbroke Island AUS
06.11 Ecstatic Dance - Dj Future Roots - Sunshine Coast AUS
31.12 Melbourne City NYE Fireworks Concert - POAO. AUS
22.01 Teymori Album Launch - Digital Afrika - NightCat AUS
05.03 Inna Yard -Brunswick Music Festival - Future Roots Event AUS
11.03 Womadeilade - Airileke & Tijuana Cartel AUS
25.03 Strawberry fields week 1 - Dj Future Roots Tucanwal AUS 01.04
Strawberry fields week 2 - Digital Africa Tucanwal AUS
28.05 Future Roots support for Major league DJ,s , Savaya , BALI
20.05 Future roots , Bali Spirit Festival BALI
26.05 Blakivism , QPAC , Brisbane AUS
08.07 Digital Afrika , Carl Cox’s ASW event , DC10 ,Ibiza SPAIN
0707 Digital Afrika , Nomade , Puglia ITALY
17.08 Future Roots , Darwin festival AUS
19.08 Future Roots , Uluwatu cliff house BALI
07.08 Future Roots , Oran Aya festival , FNQ AUS
25.09 Future Roots , Wave rock weekender , WA AUS
28.10 Future roots , Island vibes festival , Stradbroke island AUS
08.12 Blakivism , Arts centre Melbourne AUS
SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS 2023
01.01 Future roots , Habitat festival , Perth AUS
08.04 FEMI KUTI , mojo stage Blues and Roots festival , Byron bay AUS
27.05 Future Roots , Disko Africa , Savaya , BALI
05.07 Meleem Mukta Genia , Jazzblanca festival , MOROCCO
07.07 Future roots , Cafe local , FRANCE
15.07 Future roots , Namaste/ Akasha , Ibiza SPAIN
21.08 Ebo Taylor for Melbourne international jazz fest , Max watts AUS
28.08 SCIENTIST and Future roots , Island vibes festival , AUS
