All that Jazz

In 2013, Zian Bhamgara, stage name Zian B, had just returned from studying jazz vocals in Germany and the Netherlands, under Sabine Kühlich, head of vocals at Conservatorium Maastricht. She was on a high note. She had completed Grade 8 (Rock and Pop) from Trinity College of London with distinction. The release of her first album Take a Chance with her brother, Tizaan Alphonso, led to a contract with record label Crescendo Music, distributed by Universal Music.

They recorded a feature for VH1 Music Diaries, and toured Pune, Goa, and Delhi. As part of QuinTiz, a Jazz/Jazz-fusion quintet from Maastricht, Netherlands, with Alphonso on keys and Zian Bhamgara on vocals, life was a song. Lightning struck when Zian was diagnosed with two debilitating illnesses of the stomach and heart. “These conditions led to numerous hospital visits, tests, procedures, surgery and constant medication over the years,” she says.

Eventually, Zian learnt to manage her symptoms and overcome the ill effects of her conditions. Zian’s struggle against her illness made her sensitive to the frailty of human life. She raises funds for Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA) to fight cancer. This struggle also led to her creating her first jazz single Uncertain, released in December 2024. She explains, “Writing this new song became a way for me to process the pain and find strength in it. It’s the first time in 14 years that I’ve opened up about my personal journey with endometriosis and SVT publicly.”