Okorie "OkCello" Johnson is an American cellist-songwriter whose artistry integrates cello performance, live-sound-looping, improvisation, and storytelling - all culminating in original compositions that collide classical with jazz, EDM, reggae, and funk.
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His music is inspired by the exploration of African Diasporic melodies and narratives and their intersection with people's perceptions and assumptions about the classical and european nature of the cello. As well, his work with improvisation attempts to embody the phenomenon of wordless prayer.
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In 2021, Okorie OkCello Johnson was selected to be one of the presenters at the Democratic Republic of the Congo Biennale (Scheduled for September 2022) for his proposal of a sound installation project entitled "Vessel of Breath," a meditative cello composition comprised of harvested sound, collaborative compositions, and community interviews. In addition, he was selected to participate in the Kennedy Center's artist residence program entitled Office Hours (scheduled for March 2022), in which he will begin workshopping the process for the sound installation project above. 2021 also saw his inclusion in the InStyle February issue, which identified him as a member of the "Creative Class Making Atlanta the New Epicenter of American Arts." He was also identified in Atlanta Magazine's "Atlanta Rising Creative Class [that] Is Gaining New Recognition on the National Scene." Finally, a documentary he scored for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, "Imperfect Alibi" won a regional Emmy, he released his third studio project Beacon (ZMI Records) in September of 2021, and in December, he released a holiday album entitled, An OkChristmas (ZMI Records).