Embodying the true essence of his artistic style, Josh Blakk’s unbridled passion for music reverberates through every flawless and hypnotic note of his. Over the years, he has proven himself a strong contender in the Ghanaian industry with a consistent delivery of masterful storytelling that resonates with listeners and well crafted sound that transcends genres.
Dubbed “High Soul,” his innovative fusion of Highlife and Soul Music has captivated audiences and solidified his position as a trailblazer. As a singer, songwriter, producer, composer, voice coach, and multi-instrumentalist, Josh’s versatility is matched only by his dedication to his craft.
With a voice that has been described as one of the most angelic ever gifted to mankind, Josh Blakk’s music is a testament to his innate talent and tireless pursuit of excellence.
Born in Accra, Ghana, and mentored in music from the tender age of seven, Josh’s journey has culminated in a distinctive blend of soul, highlife, and Afrobeats that has endeared him to fans worldwide, performing with his band, the “Blakknoters band”
Can you tell us more about your experiences growing up, especially your relationship with music during your childhood?
My dad was a preacher who traveled around a lot and I went along with him, so I spent a lot of time in the church as a child. My mum always says that I started singing before even learning to talk properly. I began playing the piano in church around six years old. I never had any tutor, I’m a self-taught pianist. I learnt how to play out of curiosity , I just wanted to make sense of the different sounds coming from the keys and I started playing around and experimenting, that’s the way I learnt how to play other musical instruments growing up. By the time I was 13, I became the music director in my dad’s church, organizing rehearsal etc, I was also part of the choir until I went to boarding school, in school I joined the school band, that’s when I started playing the Sax after a while, I switched the Sax for a Guitar.
You were once a contestant on Nigeria’s Project Fame. How did that shape you as an artist? How did that introduce you to the music industry, and is competition something you’ve learned to live with as an artist?
That’s a very interesting question. Before I came to Nigeria, I had done a couple of competitions in Ghana. I remember doing one on radio once so I was already a bit on the scene in Ghana and when the opportunity came for Project Fame, I just jumped on it and it was such an experience. That’s when I experienced the difference between the Nigerian and Ghanaian music scene; the level of appreciation for the art and also the difference in the kind of music appreciated by both countries. It opened my eyes to both worlds. Competing in Project fame helped me get comfortable around competition, I have learnt to live with the competition and even though I lost then, I have learnt to win and never give up.
You mentioned that Project Fame introduced you to the differences between the industry in Nigeria and Ghana. What are these differences or similarities?
I think Nigerians appreciate different genres of music compared to my homeland. Ghanaians appreciate rap or highlife more than other genres, if you’re doing highlife or rap, you have the support of the masses more because it’s their indigenous sound but when you try to do something outside of that, there’s really no support. I feel like in Nigeria, and this is my own opinion, you can do trap, R&B, and other genres and still have a fan base which is something you can’t try in Ghana. I remember doing a show recently in Nigeria and the whole place was packed. I was so surprised, the audience was vibing with me all through and just enjoying the music. Nonetheless, when Ghanaians love your craft, they’ll go all the way for you, the fans here are very loyal to their artists.
What’s the inspiration behind the title of your project O.N.E? Is it an abbreviation for “Of No Efforts”?
It was inspired by a conversation I had with a friend, we were talking about love and how it requires effort to make it meaningful, grow and stay in love to the point that it becomes effortless and intentional. It’s just like training your muscles, the more you build, the more the muscles learn. So the project is a love-themed project. It’s called “Of No Efforts” because the kind of love I like to experience is the kind that feels effortless. The title also symbolizes the release of the first album that made it out of my studio. I’ve worked on a couple of projects that didn’t make it out but this one did and I wanted to celebrate that.
So what’s different about the deluxe version?
The deluxe has songs that were supposed to be on the album itself, but I didn’t put them in because I wanted a different feel for it.
You mentioned that you worked on a couple of projects that never made it out. What did that feel like?
I’ve learned that it’s okay to fail because failure is a learning curve, it pushes you to do better. Looking back, I’m better sonically than I used to be and I’m grateful for the progress.
African music is currently enjoying a great expansion. In what ways do you think you and the Ghanaian industry, through collaboration, is positioning for the greatness emerging out of our culture generally?
I can’t speak for the whole Ghanaian industry but I can say, in my previous projects, it’s been a one-man journey; writing, producing, and doing everything all alone, I never had true self-satisfaction but with this project, I didn’t do it alone. I told my bro that I wanted to do a project that is a mix of high life and soul, a merger of both genres, I just wanted to experiment and try something new. I don’t like being put in a box but I’ve realized that collaborations helps bring out a different flavor in your songs, in Ghana we say “nyanse bi ba futrin” which means “all wisdom isn’t in the head of one person”, you may have all the knowledge but there’s always that one thing that you may have missed in the beginning that ends up being a big deal. On this project, I worked with other creatives to bring it to life, especially the song “Iyawo”. I had a friend, John, write the track, another person helped with sound and producing; the Konga, drums, percussion, I remember Chi-Wave putting in some shakers then I made everyone who came around in the studio that day to sing on it anyone who was around me that day in the studio, anybody who came, I made them sing on it so we had like eight voices singing on it. I believe that song is the biggest song on my project because of all the positive energies on it. So collaborations are important to me.
Generally in life, what matters to you the most and why?
My family. Family is very important to me and I try to keep mine healthy no matter what. There may be times when you argue or have differences but at the end of the day, there are the ones who’ll back when it counts. So, yeah, family is important to me. My kids are important to me, I don’t joke with them.
