Pepper Guy Picks!: Why Businesses and Artists Need to be a Part of Something Bigger!

My husband and I met on stage, he was brilliantly playing guitar and I was singing my little heart out in a musical review tribute to the SPUDS, in Pittsburgh, PA. This is how it all began!

Liz Tapia and Bryan Zeigler

My husband Bryan Zeigler has been playing guitar since the young age of 16, pursuing his own band, playing in other bands, perfecting his technique, and creating a style of complicated and brilliant music of his own. Influenced by so many great musical artists such as Yes, Metallica, Frank Zappa and so many others, his eclectic style is what he's best known for and why he's able to add such interesting spices into his music. The first time I heard and saw him on stage he was brilliant! He had and still has an amazing stage presence and is probably the best improviser ever! No matter what anyone throws at him, he catches it with grace, style and exceptional charm! I thought he was the most interesting person I had ever met, showing such passion and exceptional intelligence! Aside from his musical passion, his studies landed him an undergraduate degree in Communications Management, with a Master's Degree in Media Management, topped off with a Law Degree and a concentration in intellectual property. I couldn't have picked a better and more passionate person to love for a lifetime!

I definitely met my match!

Founder & Producer Liz Tapia

It all started after attending one of my husband's showcases called Eclectic Electric Night, featuring his band Progressive Dementia. I invited a bunch of my friends and industry people to come out and share in this fun showcase which featured an eclectic mix of talents. The idea and show were fantastic and so much fun! The purpose of the showcase was to try to introduce a special niche band which was hard to get folks out to, inviting different performers into the mix, which seemed to be the key to what made this little showcase fun. It allowed people who normally may never get the chance to see Progressive Dementia a chance to listen to them play, while showcasing other talents. I thought this could be a great event produced on a much larger scale. That's where the idea of our live events came about, through the efforts of my husband's band trying to gain a larger audience.

In 2007 we decided to go back to the idea of producing the same type of event but on a much larger scale. We brainstormed about how we would do this and who this would feature. Immediately my mind started twirling ideas, and I remember thinking...it has to have food, and lots of great talented artists. Hmm...it just can't be called an artist event...it needs a great name!

Linda Rufo - Portrait Artist Featured at Jambalaya Events

I thought that this event would have the spiciest performers ever on one stage, which prompted my next question asking Bryan "If this were a food what would it be called?" He immediately shouted without hesitation, "JAMBALAYA"! and that the beginning of Jambalaya, the Event for all Artists. We began a fantastic journey into the unknown, and realized that getting great independent artists together, bringing in a crowd to support a brand new style of event was going a bit daunting, but ultimately brilliant! Who would have thought that such an event could offer so many things in one place for so many to connect with.

Jambalaya staff member Adriona Tate offering delicious

goodies to our guests attending our business exhibit and networking segment

We launched Jambalaya at The Cutting Room in NYC and offered an eclectic mix of performances like no other, and food which was unheard of when charging a $5.00 ticket. Yes, $5.00 but we managed to do it somehow! As the first event launched, people filed in, and the room was jam packed with an eclectic mix of artists, producers, directors, and guests. Fun bite size oven brick style of pizzas were served, people were having a great time, and I stood far back in a tiny little corner watching as If I were having an out of body experience, as I tried make my way to the stage to make some announcements. I knew we had latched onto something not only exciting, but special and definitely worth pursuing. We featured some of the best independent artists NYC had to offer, throwing in surprises in-between to shake things up. We did it! We created a truly unique event offering food, fun, networking, and great performers, with the ultimate goal of connecting everyone that wanted to be a part of this very fun event. There it was, Jambalaya! The Event for all Artists was born! Who knew this would be the beginning of something so wonderful?

Maybe I should back up just a bit and tell you a little about myself, and how I started in the entertainment industry. At the young age of four I was already singing and dancing and loving the arts. I owe this all to my mom who threw me into classes. As luck would have it, I loved it right from the start and excelled quickly in tap, ballet, jazz dance, and acrobatics. At my recitals, I was always placed center stage and up front,and teachers always pointed me out in their class demonstrations to other students. Back then, I don't know if I even knew what talent was, or if I had any, to me it was just fun and when I was most happy! I was a quick study and like a sponge I soaked up everything that artistically came my way, and kept learning as much as I could, having fun just about every step of the way!

Dark Beauty

tells the tale of the Dark Angel

Featured on Itunes

Whether it was dancing, playing piano, crafting, acting, directing, producing a film or singing I felt right at home. I graduated from a two year Meisner acting program, worked on some independent films, and today, I am training in the Bel Canto style of voice in the hopes of achieving my highest goals! Being creative in some sort of art form is truly what defines me and probably where my best work will ever come from! For all the reasons mentioned above, this is where my heart and soul beats the loudest and where I am the happiest!

Thinking big has never been a challenge for me, and is a natural part of my thought process. It's not easy trying to convince the closest ones around you that your ideas are the perfect ones, even to those who love you the most. Thinking big, and being creative, is what I can offer the world along with a ton of energy, and being a total people person. Thinking big, is truly what inspires me to continue moving forward on the journey of building something creative and fantastic for all to share and be a part of.

So what does this all mean? Performers get a chance to be featured in a showcase with many attendees, new businesses and existing businesses get a chance to involve themselves in new and exiting ways to connect gaining new clientele and having fun!

I aim to surround myself with people that inspire me, people with creative minds that have great and interesting ideas, and those who can be introduced into our delicious pot of Jambalaya stew. In the past year we have opened up our event to feature and introduce a business segment inviting all types of business owners and artists a chance to participate by marketing themselves or their services, showcase their line of products in a festival-like setting, which is what Jambalaya has become.

Dance Soul Company

Our events have grown since 2007 from featuring only performers, to inviting a grander network and exhibiting businesses of all types such as: Independent record labels, skin care and makeup lines, and other types of businesses and performers housing several hundred guests all in one delicious pot of Jambalaya! Our event offers exciting and unique ways for independent artists and businesses to connect in non-traditional ways by mixing the two together all in one space, with a personality all our own.

So what's next? Well, we look forward to including many more new businesses seeking great new ways to connect, market and sell their products while having fun in this environment. Our next Jambalaya in 2011 will include all types of businesses, Independent performers, models, dancers, actors, producers, record labels, singers, and more. We hope to inspire more businesses to get involved in our events which have proven to be a success to so many. We are putting together a new team of business owners interested in sharing some of their ideas and becoming a part of our next event. So, If you are interested and have a business you would like to feature and would also like to input your thoughts on joining this unique and powerful way of marketing and networking, please contact us. You can email and let us know your interest so we may set up a meeting to discuss how Jambalaya can help you get to a higher level of connecting and featuring your products! We welcome the opportunity to include your business into our next event!

Sincerely,