Guitar
GUITAR
Teacher – Zawadi Hunter-Rahman
Raised in Yonkers, New York by a single mother with two other kids, Zawadi was the youngest of the three. Initially taking more interest in more visual art forms and activities rather than audible, he found himself drawing, creating things with Lego’s, puzzles, etc. He wasn’t always the biggest music enthusiast, despite growing up on “98.7 Kiss FM” a radio station that played mostly classic soul and R&B.
Just some of the artists and bands featured were Earth, Wind, and Fire, Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross, and of course Michael Jackson.
Zawadi was also heavily influenced by classic hip-hop growing up listening to artists such as The Notorious B.I.G., DMX, Jadakiss, Jay-Z, etc. There were also a lot of movies in that era that had some of the best soundtracks ever made. That’s where some of the exposure to rock, metal, and classic rock enhanced his taste for good music. It wasn’t until the videogame “Guitar Hero” was released where Zawadi realized he had a passion for this type of art. This is also where most of his exposure to the “world of rock” took place.
Playing this guitar simulator videogame familiarized him with classic rock bands such as Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, ZZ Top, Iron Maiden just to name a few. Giving him a better idea as to what type of music he wanted to make as well as what type of artist he wanted to be. Eventually getting his own guitar, learning the songs listed in Guitar Hero, continuing to practice and create his own sounds, performing mainly between Westchester and NYC , Zawadi continues to grow as an artist and a teacher.