Y’akoto is a pseudonym of Jennifer Yaa Akoto Kieck (b. 1988 in Hamburg). Read Full Bio ↴Y’akoto is a pseudonym of Jennifer Yaa Akoto Kieck (b. 1988 in Hamburg).
“It feels so good to be restless.”
(Moving)
It is restlessness which drives her.
There is this urge which impels her never to stand still and to keep growing and learning. The feeling of never arriving yet always being there. The conviction that one must lose oneself first in order to someday, find oneself.
In the life of Y’akoto it is precisely this restlessness which has been the root and motive force behind all her work, the fount of her being and ultimately, the reason why her voice embodies so much more inherent depth, experience and life, than a singer of 23 years of age would otherwise, under normal circumstances, be endowed with. But let’s start at the beginning!
As the daughter of a Ghanaian father and a German mother, Jennifer Yaa Akoto was raised a cosmopolite from her infancy. She was born in Hamburg and grew up in Ghana with sojourns in Cameroun, Togo and Chad before finally ending up shuttling between Hamburg, Lomé and Paris, a wanderer between worlds, a modern-day nomad who has always drawn strength from a state of permanent transition, which she has always seen as the inexhaustible source of her inspiration. “The numerous relocations, all the travel, and the global adaptability this entailed – all these things strongly influenced me.” states Y’akoto. “Yet I feel no sense of displacement or inner conflict. On the contrary, it is all these stages of a journey, all the impressions and experiences en route, which together, form a sum that is greater than its parts – a greater whole – the sum of me, my totality.” And to be sure, this statement characterizes her career as an artist to date, which has turned out to be just as exhilarating and multifaceted as her eventful personal life.
Music has always defined Y’akoto’s life: her father was a renowned artist of the West African Highlife music genre while Y’akoto herself was given piano lessons at a very early age. At the age of 13, she sang in a band for the first time. With their effervescent fusion of Rock, Reggae, Soul and Funk, they toured the youth clubs and won numerous band competitions. At 16, she made a brief excursion into electronic music in a fit of adolescent whimsy which lasted until she ended up in a line-up involving beat box, guitar, bass and vocals. “The turning point in my music only came when I turned 20” reminisces Y’akoto. This was shortly after successfully graduating as a certified teacher of dance when the solo artist Y’akoto emerged full-blown, which meant, in concrete terms: less experimentation and getting down to basics; no more compulsive innovation for its own sake, but focusing upon the essentials. In short: effectiveness meets avant-garde. “Nowadays the most important thing is to tell stories with my songs. That is why the sound is stripped down to the very basics. Less is more. I took great pains to make sure that in this album, things were kept consistently purist and unadulterated.”
This record, her debut album, ‘Babyblues’ is a splendid collection of songs full of meaning and depth which Y’akoto wrote herself in the course of the past two years in close collaboration with Mocky, Haze and the Kahedi production team (Max Herre, Samon Kawamura and Roberto Di Gioia). “A number of songs on the album such as ‘Good Better Best’ or ‘Moving’ have a very strong Afro feel to them, but for me, they are, above all, folk music, because I want to address people at a very personal level. The songs deal primarily with real life, with the things that happen to each and every one of us every day of our lives; stories that everyone has experienced and can empathize with.” In consequence, Y’akoto’s tracks excel so impressively for reason of a fascinating universal validity which they express with no trace of being clichéd.
With her songs, Y’akoto follows in the footsteps of such luminaries as Billie Holiday, Nina Simone and Erykah Badu as she manages effortlessly to encapsulate grandly intense feeling in exquisite narrative vignettes, moving miniatures in which the concerns of a single individual become the concerns of many. And yet, Y’akoto is simply on a hegira of soul-searching.
At least that is what a spiritually empowered woman in Africa asserted, who Y’akoto consulted - just for fun, actually - in the course her latest sojourn there. The old lady took Y’akoto’s hand, looked deep into her eyes and solemnly declared that Y’akoto had lost her soul. A short, sharp shock. “Then the old lady said that I was in constant search of my soul, which immediately made perfect sense to me” declared Y’akoto, late of Hamburg. “And I then realized that’s why I’ve always refused to say that I perform ‘soul’ music. ‘Soul-searching-music’ would be the better term.”
And indeed, Y’akoto is actually on a hegira of soul-searching.
One thing’s for sure: a voyage of self-discovery like that can hardly be undertaken alone. You need a crew of capable, trustworthy hands to make a musical manifesto out of this soul-searching mission. And Y’akoto found this crew of kindred spirits in Mocky, Haze, as well as in Max Herre, Samon Kawamura und Roberto Di Gioia aka Kahedi. “What I like best about Mocky is his impulsiveness”, enthused the female vocalist about her work with the Canadian now residing in Berlin. “Without wasting words he knew immediately what I wanted. He always managed to bring the right spirit into our studio work and his love of experimentation was perfectly in tune with my approach to music.” Her collaboration with Max Herre turned out to be similarly rewarding. “Things could get tricky and complicated while recording vocal passages where raw, inmost feelings are revealed, but since Max is a vocalist himself, he has a profound understanding of my needs as a singer” states the 23 year-old about the studio sessions and adds: “Everyone involved were, first and foremost, really great musicians. Each an every one of them, a master of his craft. But what amazed me most was the fact that every one of them poured so much work and love into this project. Everything came so harmoniously and naturally, everything felt so right – it didn’t feel like just another job.”
And this feeling of uncompromising consistency is a recurring theme joyously audible through all the songs of the album. Each effortlessly rendered track leads smoothly to the next, the appeal of each individual song seemingly interwoven with that of every other in the album, within the greater context of an encompassing love for music which is the leitmotif.
Take, for instance, the lively and infectious song ‘Moving’, a musical allegory of melancholy mysticism and effusive sensuality. ‘Moving’ is a track which stays with you, imprinting echoes of itself in your mind, a breathtaking, continuous adventure which seems to have neither beginning nor end, with a compelling melody which stems mostly from Y’akoto’s experimental side, from her penchant for non-conformist artistic expression.
This individualistic bent is also strikingly manifest in the choice of track for her first single off the album: then instead of regaling the public with a cheerful effort like ‘Good Better Best’ styled with the help of Haze into a nimbly catchy world music hymn replete with captivating allusions to the music of traditional African dance, Y’akoto chose the moving ‘Tamba’ where she tells of the terrible fate of an African child-soldier. The song is fraught with mordant images which bury themselves into the listener’s mind like a spray of shrapnel, making the frightful lot of the child-soldier a thing to be heard and felt. “Of course, this isn’t a song that conjures a smile on the listener’s face. But it gives him food for thought” offers Y’akoto as explanation for her choice of ‘Tamba’ as first single release. “Music simply doesn’t always have to present a pleasant face. Sometimes music must hurt to make a difference.” That this album will have lasting impact is undeniable.
‘Babyblues’, where Y’akoto reveals her innermost feelings, is testament to the emotional gravity in which she was occasionally immersed in the course of writing her songs. More than anything, her title track ‘Babyblues’ underscores the mystery and darkness inherent in such an otherwise luminous personality as Y’akoto’s, where, accompanied by delicate strains of the piano, she mines the depths of her soul for that black, lightless pulsing core which she then brings to light, transmuted into a glittering prize. “There was actually a time when I felt the blues within me” confesses Y’akoto and laughs. “I got totally absorbed in the blues and that was hard – still, it was fun. A rather silly, childish sentiment came to life at the time – that’s the reason for the title ‘Babyblues’.”
The way in which the 23 year-old adds astounding weight to the meaning of her words with profound emotion; the way in which she combines her youthful vitality with the technical accomplishment of an avowed female vocalist of stature and experience; the way in which her acute flair for creating moving moments of emotion and sensibility emerges from her supreme artistic composure – all this touches the soul, moves the listener; makes a lasting impact.
There is this urge which impels her never to stand still and always to keep growing and learning. This feeling of never arriving yet always being there. The conviction that one must lose oneself first in order to someday, find oneself.
It is restlessness which drives her.
Sites: De.Wikipedia
“It feels so good to be restless.”
(Moving)
It is restlessness which drives her.
There is this urge which impels her never to stand still and to keep growing and learning. The feeling of never arriving yet always being there. The conviction that one must lose oneself first in order to someday, find oneself.
In the life of Y’akoto it is precisely this restlessness which has been the root and motive force behind all her work, the fount of her being and ultimately, the reason why her voice embodies so much more inherent depth, experience and life, than a singer of 23 years of age would otherwise, under normal circumstances, be endowed with. But let’s start at the beginning!
As the daughter of a Ghanaian father and a German mother, Jennifer Yaa Akoto was raised a cosmopolite from her infancy. She was born in Hamburg and grew up in Ghana with sojourns in Cameroun, Togo and Chad before finally ending up shuttling between Hamburg, Lomé and Paris, a wanderer between worlds, a modern-day nomad who has always drawn strength from a state of permanent transition, which she has always seen as the inexhaustible source of her inspiration. “The numerous relocations, all the travel, and the global adaptability this entailed – all these things strongly influenced me.” states Y’akoto. “Yet I feel no sense of displacement or inner conflict. On the contrary, it is all these stages of a journey, all the impressions and experiences en route, which together, form a sum that is greater than its parts – a greater whole – the sum of me, my totality.” And to be sure, this statement characterizes her career as an artist to date, which has turned out to be just as exhilarating and multifaceted as her eventful personal life.
Music has always defined Y’akoto’s life: her father was a renowned artist of the West African Highlife music genre while Y’akoto herself was given piano lessons at a very early age. At the age of 13, she sang in a band for the first time. With their effervescent fusion of Rock, Reggae, Soul and Funk, they toured the youth clubs and won numerous band competitions. At 16, she made a brief excursion into electronic music in a fit of adolescent whimsy which lasted until she ended up in a line-up involving beat box, guitar, bass and vocals. “The turning point in my music only came when I turned 20” reminisces Y’akoto. This was shortly after successfully graduating as a certified teacher of dance when the solo artist Y’akoto emerged full-blown, which meant, in concrete terms: less experimentation and getting down to basics; no more compulsive innovation for its own sake, but focusing upon the essentials. In short: effectiveness meets avant-garde. “Nowadays the most important thing is to tell stories with my songs. That is why the sound is stripped down to the very basics. Less is more. I took great pains to make sure that in this album, things were kept consistently purist and unadulterated.”
This record, her debut album, ‘Babyblues’ is a splendid collection of songs full of meaning and depth which Y’akoto wrote herself in the course of the past two years in close collaboration with Mocky, Haze and the Kahedi production team (Max Herre, Samon Kawamura and Roberto Di Gioia). “A number of songs on the album such as ‘Good Better Best’ or ‘Moving’ have a very strong Afro feel to them, but for me, they are, above all, folk music, because I want to address people at a very personal level. The songs deal primarily with real life, with the things that happen to each and every one of us every day of our lives; stories that everyone has experienced and can empathize with.” In consequence, Y’akoto’s tracks excel so impressively for reason of a fascinating universal validity which they express with no trace of being clichéd.
With her songs, Y’akoto follows in the footsteps of such luminaries as Billie Holiday, Nina Simone and Erykah Badu as she manages effortlessly to encapsulate grandly intense feeling in exquisite narrative vignettes, moving miniatures in which the concerns of a single individual become the concerns of many. And yet, Y’akoto is simply on a hegira of soul-searching.
At least that is what a spiritually empowered woman in Africa asserted, who Y’akoto consulted - just for fun, actually - in the course her latest sojourn there. The old lady took Y’akoto’s hand, looked deep into her eyes and solemnly declared that Y’akoto had lost her soul. A short, sharp shock. “Then the old lady said that I was in constant search of my soul, which immediately made perfect sense to me” declared Y’akoto, late of Hamburg. “And I then realized that’s why I’ve always refused to say that I perform ‘soul’ music. ‘Soul-searching-music’ would be the better term.”
And indeed, Y’akoto is actually on a hegira of soul-searching.
One thing’s for sure: a voyage of self-discovery like that can hardly be undertaken alone. You need a crew of capable, trustworthy hands to make a musical manifesto out of this soul-searching mission. And Y’akoto found this crew of kindred spirits in Mocky, Haze, as well as in Max Herre, Samon Kawamura und Roberto Di Gioia aka Kahedi. “What I like best about Mocky is his impulsiveness”, enthused the female vocalist about her work with the Canadian now residing in Berlin. “Without wasting words he knew immediately what I wanted. He always managed to bring the right spirit into our studio work and his love of experimentation was perfectly in tune with my approach to music.” Her collaboration with Max Herre turned out to be similarly rewarding. “Things could get tricky and complicated while recording vocal passages where raw, inmost feelings are revealed, but since Max is a vocalist himself, he has a profound understanding of my needs as a singer” states the 23 year-old about the studio sessions and adds: “Everyone involved were, first and foremost, really great musicians. Each an every one of them, a master of his craft. But what amazed me most was the fact that every one of them poured so much work and love into this project. Everything came so harmoniously and naturally, everything felt so right – it didn’t feel like just another job.”
And this feeling of uncompromising consistency is a recurring theme joyously audible through all the songs of the album. Each effortlessly rendered track leads smoothly to the next, the appeal of each individual song seemingly interwoven with that of every other in the album, within the greater context of an encompassing love for music which is the leitmotif.
Take, for instance, the lively and infectious song ‘Moving’, a musical allegory of melancholy mysticism and effusive sensuality. ‘Moving’ is a track which stays with you, imprinting echoes of itself in your mind, a breathtaking, continuous adventure which seems to have neither beginning nor end, with a compelling melody which stems mostly from Y’akoto’s experimental side, from her penchant for non-conformist artistic expression.
This individualistic bent is also strikingly manifest in the choice of track for her first single off the album: then instead of regaling the public with a cheerful effort like ‘Good Better Best’ styled with the help of Haze into a nimbly catchy world music hymn replete with captivating allusions to the music of traditional African dance, Y’akoto chose the moving ‘Tamba’ where she tells of the terrible fate of an African child-soldier. The song is fraught with mordant images which bury themselves into the listener’s mind like a spray of shrapnel, making the frightful lot of the child-soldier a thing to be heard and felt. “Of course, this isn’t a song that conjures a smile on the listener’s face. But it gives him food for thought” offers Y’akoto as explanation for her choice of ‘Tamba’ as first single release. “Music simply doesn’t always have to present a pleasant face. Sometimes music must hurt to make a difference.” That this album will have lasting impact is undeniable.
‘Babyblues’, where Y’akoto reveals her innermost feelings, is testament to the emotional gravity in which she was occasionally immersed in the course of writing her songs. More than anything, her title track ‘Babyblues’ underscores the mystery and darkness inherent in such an otherwise luminous personality as Y’akoto’s, where, accompanied by delicate strains of the piano, she mines the depths of her soul for that black, lightless pulsing core which she then brings to light, transmuted into a glittering prize. “There was actually a time when I felt the blues within me” confesses Y’akoto and laughs. “I got totally absorbed in the blues and that was hard – still, it was fun. A rather silly, childish sentiment came to life at the time – that’s the reason for the title ‘Babyblues’.”
The way in which the 23 year-old adds astounding weight to the meaning of her words with profound emotion; the way in which she combines her youthful vitality with the technical accomplishment of an avowed female vocalist of stature and experience; the way in which her acute flair for creating moving moments of emotion and sensibility emerges from her supreme artistic composure – all this touches the soul, moves the listener; makes a lasting impact.
There is this urge which impels her never to stand still and always to keep growing and learning. This feeling of never arriving yet always being there. The conviction that one must lose oneself first in order to someday, find oneself.
It is restlessness which drives her.
Sites: De.Wikipedia
Talk To Me
Y'akoto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't wanna change you
I think you're quite ok
You're strong, elegant and warm
Where you keep all the good stuff away from me
You are all appearance and slick I want you say
The way you say it sound terrific
Boy
But I'm interested in the silence between your lines
Open up boy
Align thoughts
fly
Talk to me, talk to me
Let me in
I want to know how it's like
Under your skin
Talk to me talk to me
Let it go
Trust me love
Let yourself go
So please don't protect me
I'm here to take you all in
And to share your tears
Trust my love.. love
I am strong in my heart's high as space
Avoid your stories com'on have faith in me
I'm not a hero
But that can take in all the pain
And I'm cry with you
Then smile with you again
Talk to me, talk to me
Let me in
I want to know how it's like
Under your skin
Talk to me talk to me
Let it go
Trust me love
Let it go
Let it go
Let's give us a chance
Let's open up
Let our feelings dance com'on dance
Let's give love a chance
Let's open up
Let our feelings dance
Talk to me, talk to me
Let me in
I want to know how it's like
Under your skin
Talk to me talk to me
Let it go
Trust me love
Let it flow
Let it go
Talk to me talk to me talk to me
Talk to me talk to me talk to me
Talk to me com'on love talk to me
Talk to me talk to me talk to me me me
I think you're quite ok
You're strong, elegant and warm
Where you keep all the good stuff away from me
You are all appearance and slick I want you say
The way you say it sound terrific
Boy
Open up boy
Align thoughts
fly
Talk to me, talk to me
Let me in
I want to know how it's like
Under your skin
Talk to me talk to me
Let it go
Trust me love
Let yourself go
So please don't protect me
I'm here to take you all in
And to share your tears
Trust my love.. love
I am strong in my heart's high as space
Avoid your stories com'on have faith in me
I'm not a hero
But that can take in all the pain
And I'm cry with you
Then smile with you again
Talk to me, talk to me
Let me in
I want to know how it's like
Under your skin
Talk to me talk to me
Let it go
Trust me love
Let it go
Let it go
Let's give us a chance
Let's open up
Let our feelings dance com'on dance
Let's give love a chance
Let's open up
Let our feelings dance
Talk to me, talk to me
Let me in
I want to know how it's like
Under your skin
Talk to me talk to me
Let it go
Trust me love
Let it flow
Let it go
Talk to me talk to me talk to me
Talk to me talk to me talk to me
Talk to me com'on love talk to me
Talk to me talk to me talk to me me me
The song "Talk to Me" by Y'akoto is about the singer's desire for her partner to open up and share their emotions with her. The beginning of the song expresses appreciation for her partner's strength and elegance, but also acknowledges that they keep their feelings hidden. She encourages him to let go of his guard and allow her into his inner world. Y'akoto believes that there is beauty in vulnerability, and their relationship will be strengthened if they communicate openly.
As the song progresses, Y'akoto offers reassurance to her partner. She promises that she can handle his emotional pain and that they can share both tears and smiles together. The central message of the song is that honesty and vulnerability are essential for a healthy relationship. The final verse encourages them to take a chance on love and let their emotions dance together.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't wanna change you
I accept you for who you are
I think you're quite ok
I appreciate your qualities
You're strong, elegant and warm
You possess admirable traits
Where you keep all the good stuff away from me
You hide your emotions from me
You are all appearance and slick I want you say
You come off as polished and I want to see your true self
The way you say it sound terrific Boy
You have a compelling way of speaking
But I'm interested in the silence between your lines
I want to know the thoughts you leave unsaid
Open up boy Align thoughts fly
Speak from the heart and let your mind soar
Talk to me, talk to me Let me in
Share your thoughts and emotions with me
I want to know how it's like Under your skin
I want to understand your true emotions
Let it go Trust me love Let yourself go
Release your emotions and trust in my love
So please don't protect me I'm here to take you all in
Don't keep your feelings hidden from me, I'm here for you
And to share your tears Trust my love.. love
I'm here to comfort you and share in your pain
I am strong in my heart's high as space
I have a strong heart and spirit
Avoid your stories com'on have faith in me
Don't hold back your experiences, trust me with them
I'm not a hero But that can take in all the pain
I may not be a hero, but I can handle your pain
And I'm cry with you Then smile with you again
I'll empathize with your sadness and share in your happiness
Let's give us a chance Let's open up
Let's take a risk and share our true feelings
Let our feelings dance com'on dance
Let us express our emotions and enjoy them
Let's give love a chance Let's open up
Let's take a chance on love and show our true selves
Let our feelings dance
Let us express our emotions freely
Talk to me com'on love talk to me
Speak to me openly and honestly
Talk to me talk to me talk to me me me
Keep communicating with me
Writer(s): Tom Hugo Hermansen, Jennifer Yaa Akoto Kieck
Contributed by Joseph L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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@Vuonglinh1
I don't wanna change you
I think you're quite ok
You're strong, elegant and warm
Where you keep all the good stuff away from me
You are all appearance and slick I want you say
The way you say it sound terrific boy
But I'm interested in the silence between your lines
Open up boy align thoughts fly
Talk to me talk to me let me in
I want to know how it's like under your skin
Talk to me talk to me let it go
Trust me love, let yourself go
So please don't protect me
I'm here to take you all in
And to share your tears
Trust my love.. love
I am strong in my heart's got a space
Avoid your stories com'on have faith in me
I'm not a hero but that can take in all the pain
And I'm cry with you then smile with you again
Talk to me talk to me let me in
I want to know how it's like under your skin
Talk to me talk to me let it flow
Trust me love let it go let it go
Let's give us a chance let's open up
Let our feelings dance com'on dance
Let's give love a chance let's open up
Let our feelings dance
Talk to me talk to me let me in
I want to know how it's like under your skin
Talk to me talk to me let it go
Trust me love let it flow let it go
Talk to me talk to me talk to me
Talk to me talk to me talk to me
Talk to me com'on love talk to me
Talk to me talk to me talk to me
@natachaalmeida7784
Maravilha 💜
@fidelpierre8703
CANTA MUITO! MUSICA BOA! NA VERDADE O ÁLBUM É TODO MUITO BOM! PARABÉNS.
@eriveltonmartins1655
Fidel Pierre essa mulher é foda demais.
@Vuonglinh1
I don't wanna change you
I think you're quite ok
You're strong, elegant and warm
Where you keep all the good stuff away from me
You are all appearance and slick I want you say
The way you say it sound terrific boy
But I'm interested in the silence between your lines
Open up boy align thoughts fly
Talk to me talk to me let me in
I want to know how it's like under your skin
Talk to me talk to me let it go
Trust me love, let yourself go
So please don't protect me
I'm here to take you all in
And to share your tears
Trust my love.. love
I am strong in my heart's got a space
Avoid your stories com'on have faith in me
I'm not a hero but that can take in all the pain
And I'm cry with you then smile with you again
Talk to me talk to me let me in
I want to know how it's like under your skin
Talk to me talk to me let it flow
Trust me love let it go let it go
Let's give us a chance let's open up
Let our feelings dance com'on dance
Let's give love a chance let's open up
Let our feelings dance
Talk to me talk to me let me in
I want to know how it's like under your skin
Talk to me talk to me let it go
Trust me love let it flow let it go
Talk to me talk to me talk to me
Talk to me talk to me talk to me
Talk to me com'on love talk to me
Talk to me talk to me talk to me
@hyep.269
Linh Vuong thnx for writing the lyrics.... listen to heavens radio by y akoto and parov stellar. excellent song.
@sthephaniarios8008
Adoré esta canción
@diegomestizo441
the best music for relax and feel the love in the air.
@hopefull9670
Do American performers prevent African performers like Y'aKoto from stardom here in the USA. In Maine I buy her music but they always say ,who. She is fabulous. And her earrings sell like hot cakes.
@manouchkabk
<3 love you y'akoto
@Golea77
Precious.