Y’akoto: the Germany-based Ghanaian queen of soul seeking music

In her career, Y’akoto, daughter of a Ghanaian Highlife musician and a German political scientist never opted for the straight, simple path.

Encouraged by her dad, she picked up singing and playing the keyboard back in Ghana, where she lived until the age of eleven.

Her teacher at the time instructed her to write a new song each day. However, Y’akoto would not sign a record deal just yet. Instead, she decided to study dance education.

2012 saw her breaking through: never one to shy away from politically charged issues, Y’akoto addressed the suffering of child soldiers – and this is years before the current wave of refuges would confront us immediately with the reality of so many young people’s lives in the war zones of our world.

In spite – or maybe because – of all this –, the song “Tamba” as well as the accompanying debut album “Baby Blues” were met by great acclaim by critics and fans alike.

In 2014, she expanded her repertoire with her sophomore album “Moody Blues”. Somewhere in between bluesy ballads and danceable funk tracks, she took up the thread again and spread the message of soul: “Off The Boat” alluded to the boat people in the Mediterranean, while “Mothers and Sons” went out to all the fatherless families out there.

Subsequently, Y’akoto gained two nominations as “Best National Rock/Pop Female Artist“ at the ECHO awards, was hailed as “a class of its own” (Süddeutsche Zeitung) by the media and played support shows for artists such as Erykah Badu, Nneka, Asa, Kwabs, and Joy Denalane.

Y’akoto released in 2017 her third Album “Mermaid Blues”.

Alternating between blues, neo-soul and ambient pop, Y’akoto presents us with some of her most intensive vocal contours, wresting a great deal of passion from her guttural, brittle voice.

“Mermaid Blues” is more than just music. It’s an attitude about life, the defiant force behind Y’akoto’s “soul seeking music”.

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