We recently connected with Amari Kijana and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Amari thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
Wow , I can recall it like it was yesterday ; I was four years old when I started realizing I had a gift for music. My mom would be directing the choir and then I’d start directing the choir from the pew with my ink pens while imitating playing the drums.
There were times the choir would get off key because they were more focused on my little self directing and actually following along. I am truly a church kid ; born and raised. I sang my first solo when I was 6 years old in Washington Tabernacle’s children’s choir. The song was called “ The Caterpillar Song “ and to this day it remains such a special song in my heart.
Over the years I’ve gotten to be apart of so many wonderful events to broaden not just my voice but also my passion for drums, piano and the different cultures of music. I wouldn’t be the artist that I am today without Gospel music.
Amari, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am Marty Johnson Jr from St. Louis , Mo . My first love is music and my other passions are photography, hiking and art. I got into hiking and photography during the early part of the summer last year. Not only have I found peace within nature , I have found joy within capturing beautiful landscapes , animals and spectacular moments.
There’s something about being amongst nature , watching the river flow and being within the trees that gives me relief. I do struggle with anxiety sometimes and the best place I know to meditate and get my thoughts together is out in nature.
Back when I lived in Texas in 2019 , I had a thought to finally record my first single and that is exactly what I did. My artist name at the time was just my actual name and I decided to make an R&B song titled “ Black Tea “. It is a song that speaks so highly of how strong a black woman is and how black women play a huge role in a black man’s life.
I performed it for the first time when I moved back to St. Louis at an open mic poetry slam . I was DEFINITELY nervous when I got up for my turn and oddly my song wasn’t able to be played all the way during my slot. I was always told regardless if something happens … Just . Keep. Singing. Despite the error after my performance I was showered with so many applauses. The joy I brought onto those in the audience faces is the joy I want to continue bringing.
I don’t give myself enough credit but I am proud of how far I’ve come. I have really had to battle some past traumas , the lost of my father , and honestly losing myself in the process. God has been with me from the moment I first cried and he HASN’T failed me yet. Along my journey of peace and self-discovery , I’ve learned that everything happens for a reason and that God does not put more on us than we can bare inspite of the pain we feel. It is up to us to remember how strong and capable we are to prevail.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Support. Support. Support.
In today’s world we as artist gain more support from outside communities/cities instead of the support from our own hometowns. St. Louis is a bit divided amongst the music industry and that’s not how music used to be. There are so many talented artists and other creatives within the city of St. Louis to where we as a CITY could takeover. However it starts with us.
I totally understand the music preferences and I wish things were balanced how it used to be. A lot of artist forget where todays music comes from. Artists like Sly and the Family Stones , Funkadelics , Ice Cube , Dj Screw and so many more that paved the way for us. And the best part about their careers is that they had the support of their hometowns.
So I truly say let’s support , grow and learn from each other. That’s the beauty of music.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I had to honestly get into social media myself . TikTok has been my number one go to for marketing/discovery. That platform alone is full of creative ideas and I had to put myself into the equation.
My first post was back in 2018 on Instagram of me covering the song from “Sister Act “ , when they began singing , “ If you wanna be somebody , and you wanna go somewhere. Then you better wake up and pay attention.“
Those words inspired me to hop on another app called “ Voisey “ which gave artist and those who weren’t artists a space to just be yourself, sing along to tracks and show your talent. I can’t tell you how many of those I made however it definitely gave me the push to get into the actual studios in St. Louis. I would post the videos consistently on Instagram, Facebook and later TikTok to where my fanbase began to grow more and more.
I say to anyone that wants to make a leap and take a chance on yourself. Do it. You never know what God has in store for you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/amarikofficial
Image Credits
Amari K