O.Z Bangaz

Ozivell Ecford / O.Z’s Bio

If Ozivell Ecford A.K.A. “O.Z” (OH ZEE) or Ozivelle the Dawn loved food as much as he loved creating and performing, he’d no doubt be a first class chef creating rich, diverse, robust delicacies for the most sensitive of palettes. Conversely, this entertainer creates colorful compositions, honest lyrics, and catchy hooks that fuse trendy with tradition, authenticity with imagination, and commerce with craft.

O.Z’s goals for the future: are to become a world respected artist, staffed writer or producer for a major label, to open a one stop shop for performance artists, and to ascend to the ranks of Kenye West, Timberland, Jamie Foxx or better.

O.Z and his band “Kick Bricks” have performed on national television for WGN Super station, opened for Trey Songs at the "Premiere Theatre" in Dalton, and performed for a campaign event for Barack Obama, hosted by Chicago radio stations WGCI, V103, and Gospel 1390.

O.Z is a "Resident Artist" for Storycatchers Theatre. There he works as an Actor, Playwrite, and Composer, who teaches youth to produce original musicals based on their personal stories. . Due to a partnership that Storycatchers has with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, O.Z has worked with Ricardo Muti, Yoyo Ma, and other Chicago Symphony Orchestra musicians.

O.Z is a multi-disciplined artist, whose collaborated with film, video, and play directors, local Chicago Artists, and groups like the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Salvation Army, Storycatchers Theatre, The Chicago Community Trust Arts Infusion Initiative, and Chicago Public Schools. Ozivell's fans and supporters are steadily growing and diversifying. There support is given not only because they've enjoyed his work, but because of his willingness and effectiveness to give back to his community and the worlds around him.