Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephen Sackitey Biko (BiQo) Okletey. They and their team shared their story with us below:
BiQo is a singer from Ghana whose sound is influenced by the Afro Soul rhythms of his home country, coupled with an eclectic array of blues, folk, and reggae melodies picked up from his father’s record collection. The singer grew up in Odorkor, a suburb of Accra (Ghana’s capital), to a craftsman father who produced furniture and a baker mother.
BiQo would perform rap covers for his friends in the absence of his teachers in basic school, and his interest in music grew as time went by.
In high school, he made his first studio record and never looked back.
In 2015, BiQo represented Ghana in the MTN “Project Fame West Africa” in Nigeria. He played at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Club in Switzerland in 2016 and the Newark Under Stars Festival in Newark, New Jersey, in 2019.
He has toured with Kojo Antwi and opened for Nigeria’s Adekunle Gold. He has also worked with Kwame Yeboah, Kobi Onyame, and Peweezel and is a member of the creative collective Superjazzclub, whose freshman album, “For All The Good Times”, debuted in August 2020. His Solo EP, “As We Blossom And Wither”, was released in September 2018.
BiQo’s music has been featured on the soundtracks of Shirley Frimpong-Manso’s films “Picture Perfect II” and “Potato Potahto”.
BiQo is committed to creating art that shifts and empowers people as well as entertaining them.
BiQo is also a member of a fast-growing creative collective/ band called Superjazzclub. He performs vocals and plays guitar in the band.
They recently did their debut European tour in 2023.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Pursuing music is like having any other dream; navigating your drive or passion to yield results is the initial challenge. Along the way, I noticed the need for capital injection, so I decided to be my own record label/ investor; playing all these roles is the biggest challenge all independent artists face.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I recently started defining what I do as a multi-disciplinary artistry. I began as a musician who played the guitar and sang (afroclectic) music and went on to become a signed model in Ghana to Radiance Models. I got a some print and bill board features in Accra – Ghana and a lead role feature by a london based team (Crudo Volta) in their short film titled “Textures”. I also took my modeling to the next level by walking during Paris fashion week 2023 for a brand called Tombogo.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Bringing something into existence to make others feel a sense of inclusion – be it writing a happy or sad song that resonates with someone, acting a role that inspires someone or dressing up in a way that inspires others.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/biqomusic?igsh=Zmg1dHk5ZHBzZWwy&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/BiQomusic?wtsid=rdr_0FjQRyn8At2UuXXxN
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-okletey-1b2960187?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BiQomusic?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
- Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/@biqomusic
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjffuyuLOBv/?igsh=eXBzbzFsYXg4bjZn
Image Credits
Diyakah, Apmworldmag, Esco Omar, Tombogo
