Reviews

Queen of Funk Chaka Khan’s Live Performance Dazzles Celebrate Brooklyn!

August 11, 2015 by Dominique M. Carson

BRIC, a non-profit arts and media organization, opened its 37th Celebrate Brooklyn! concert series with R&B icon Chaka Khan. Both Brooklyn natives and those from... read article

Public School 190 Intrigues Students and Staff With “The Lion Queen” Play

August 11, 2015 by Dominique M. Carson

Everyone knows that school or even working at an academic institution can be strenuous at times due to lesson plans, teaching students eight hours a... read article

Ladysmith Black Mambazo at Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts

May 16, 2015 by B.L. Howard

Four time Grammy winners Ladysmith Black Mambazo have been performing for over six decades under the tutelage of founder and musical director Joseph Shabalala, who... read article

Gosh Pith and Fascinator at Baby’s All Right

December 5, 2014 by Jacob Tupper

I knew the bands I was going to see were all sort of “experimental.” I knew that. But I still wasn’t quite prepared for what... read article

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Artists on our Radar

Ciao Malz: Music With a Storyteller’s Charm

WFUV NY Slice Session- photo by Gus Philippas for FUV

Brooklyn’s indie scene is home to countless rising talents, and one that stands out is Connecticut-born, Brooklyn-based artist Malia DelaCruz better known as Ciao Malz . A self-taught musician and engineer, Malz has a gift for crafting indie pop songs that are both clever and unpolished in the best way. Her latest release, Safe Than Sorry, a four-track EP released in December 2024, showcases her evolving approach to songwriting and collaboration. Growing up surrounded by classic rock, folk and indie music, Malz was drawn to the art of storytelling. “I like songs that feel lived-in, a little rough around the edges but full of heart,” she tells Brooklyn Roads. The DIY nature of indie music was a revelation that made her realize that imperfections could be part of the sound. That perspective shaped her songwriting process, which she describes as intuitive and sometimes surprising, “It’s hard for me to tell where the songs are going at first, but the choruses are catchy.” After attending college in Queens, Brooklyn quickly became her creative home. “There’s always new and different music playing from cars, coffee shops, even the fish supply store,” she says. Playing alongside the borough’s talented musicians has kept her inspired and motivated. Among Brooklyn’s many venues, Union Pool holds a special place for her, for its intimate performance space. First featured on WFUV’s NY Slice in 2021 and once again on March 20, 2025 with her warm, dreamy single, “Always Be My Maybe,” Malz has played venues like Baby’s All Right, Bowery Electric and Pianos NYC. Her latest EP came together in an unexpected but organic way. While working on other artists’ music, she asked a band to stick around after a session to help flesh out some of her songs. “We were able to turn them into full songs pretty quickly,” she recalls. The experience shifted her perspective on collaboration, as she comments, “in the past, I had done everything myself, but after making that EP, I think of it differently.” Ciao Malz is an artist worth watching. For those looking for music that’s deeply personal and full of heart, she’s one to have on your radar.

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