Last Saturday, courtesy of the European Union, #JamSeshThursdays & #TheCulturing dropped one heck of a nifty joint. The inaugural edition of The Artist Tapes at Athena Hotel was a first in many senses of the word. For one, it was a culmination of this year’s run of #YoVoiceBeHard, a stellar artist mentorship platform powered by the EU.
The event’s concept is a pretty easy one to grasp. Going off the pop cultural steam that #JamSeshThursday’s conjured up, the goal was to add the physical intimate presence of music artists to the usual live curatorial angle of cheffing up Spotify playlists in real time. In other words, the audience and artists would play an equal part in it, the latter leaning into their influences, with the extra aspect of them performing a few select tunes of their own. They’d also offer insight into their inspiration and speak about their journey and prospects as part of this year’s edition of #YoVoiceBeHard. The four selected acts were; budding neo-soul artiste Mitirikpwe Patricia, dynamic rapper & sublime songstress Vini Mercy, captivating pop crooner Raso Mucki, and our very own co-founder & creative lead Kezerod (who many o’y’all may be inclined to call Joe😂)
Mitirikpwe Patricia was the first of the night’s acts to get into her element. She belted out a couple of original tunes and, despite being the opener, she ended up being the main charm of the night in many respects. For one, her bilingual lyrical edge was a draw for many. But it was her teasy back and forth with the audience that was the main highlight. In the way of influences, she put her own spin on Chappell Roan’s “Casual” and added a dash of subtly raunchy humor while at it. She credited #YoVoiceBeHard’s workshops and showcase opportunities that had sharpened her artistic acumen over the last half-a-year, and mused about her prospects, teasing that she’s looking into a decidedly poppier direction for her upcoming projects.
Up next was Raso Mucki, who wielded his enchanting falsetto to ear-arresting effect. Dude knows his main bait and he never lets up😂 Seriously though, it was quite a delight. Many noted the young age obvious from his charmingly innocent demeanor, which made his live craft even more commendable. In addition to his own gems, he launched into “Best Part” by H.E.R. ft Daniel Caesar. While at it, he mentioned #YoVoiceBeHard’s impact on his musical outlook. He credited the initiative for exposing him to industry insiders on the scene, multiple ongoing performance opportunities, and even the acquisition of new fans. He also mentioned how he’s refined his artistic identity and his prospects have lit up even more after being engaged in the program.
Second last of the artistes was Vini Mercy, and dang did she pack a vibe! If Patricia was the night’s charm, then Vini was the hype engine. Effortlessly oscillating between swaggy rap bars and a showcase of her silky pipes on her more sing-y numbers, she upped the energy of the joint. Like Patricia, she did her bilingual thing which was pretty auspicious since we incidentally had quite a number of Madi audience members in attendance. On that note, it’s pretty cool to watch some of these acts blend cultures without having it coming off as patchy or gimmicky. Wide-versed as ever, Vini did Tupac’s “Do For Love” for her influence slot and had the crowd psyched to tag along. She went on to credit #YoVoiceBeHard as a formidable cultural initiative that’s practical and well thought-out. She raved about the combination of the skilling aspect with exposure, which has resulted in a renewed momentum she’s banking on for multiple future wins.
To close the live performance phase, our co-founder Kezerod did his quirky thing, croons and spasmic stretches and all, showcasing a truncated section of his catalog.
For his influence slot, he did “Somewhere Only We Know” by Keane. After his performance, he credited #YoVoiceBeHard for exposing him to multiple opportunities, including a residency with one of the project’s partners Nyege Nyege. Kezerod is also slotted to begin his global music touring arc 3 days from now, starting with Fifty Lab Festival in Brussels, Belgium. He’ll also be performing at this year’s Nyege Nyege, showcasing his upcoming debut album, in addition to a prospectively busy touring schedule next year. He’s super-stoked for what the future holds, owing to having participated in the project.
Speaking of Nyege, we did have the joint’s production manager in the house; Dominic Glare. He spoke about the importance of artist development and the changing local musical landscape. Dom highlighted examples of independently minded budding artists, the democratization of industry info, and about the opportunities provided by projects like #YoVoiceBeHard. It was a cool honor to have him grace the joint!
As for the main non-#YoVoice act of the night, Rogers Birimumaaso, bro was a riot. Yours truly reached out to him to let him know he was killing it, and both on-ground and post-event reviews attested to his on-theme R&B-hiphop-dispersed, suavely curated deck magic. Beyond that, dude’s an overall massive vibe, like always!
Little wonder the audience had a ball!
Admittedly, #JamSesh’s regular chief curator Ethan Sempa, rocked the boat a bit at certain points, but we live for that kinda thing; subversion, surprises and all!
Overall, killer first! Looking forward to what’s to come next in this format!
