His is an interesting story, the man that is Jesse Markin moved from Liberia to Finland as a child, he has made his mark in the country’s music industry as a formidable artist from Viljakkala, the rural sides of the Scandinavian country.
Markin is not necessarily a newcomer, he has been making music for over a decade and was part of the Hip Hop group The Megaphone State and made three albums under the name Thelo Ekow, he has now reinvented himself as an artist, he has added a refreshingly unique flavor to his style of music, in general terms his new music borrows on the consents of electronic soundscapes, R&B feel, elements of traditional ‘euro-folk’, some level of obscurity and his distinctive soulful delivery.
The singer’s music continues his personal story of race, learning to deal with stereotypes, finding peace and a new home in a foreign land that is now his home. He grew up in a rural place that is predominantly white, small population but with very few black people. The singer has managed to use his music to put voice to his experiences at the same time make history, and most of all personal successes.
His music is as exploratory as he lets his mind wander, ‘Jericho’ released earlier in the year has the artist pick on his daring side, with a call to let go and break walls that seem to limit one’s achievements. The song sits on mid-tempo, dramatic jiffies, laid back and subtle flow with reflective and thoughtful theme. ‘Jericho’ won the award for best cinematography at the Finnish OMVF – Oulu Music Video Festival recently. The song is part of his latest album.
‘Blood’, was the singer’s debut single as a solo act, the song also takes an explicit look at sensitive subjects. The song was released as a double single together with ‘Will Shoot’. ‘Treat’ on the other hand is a pop, dance tuned bundle, a club winner, the song easy on the ear and twist but deep in content.
The rapper-turned-singer recently released his debut album as a solo artist called ’Folk’ which packs a wide range of influences, the unrevealed side of his life story and the rather different but daring music turn he has chosen. The just over 50-minutes long project was produced by Totte Rautiainen and released under the VILD label.
|Afroway
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