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Bio
Mariko
Definition:
Pronunciation: (rhymes with Jericho)
Synonyms: singer, songwriter, entertainer
noun
1. The traditional Japanese name, Mariko, translates as “true reason child.” It effectively means “truth,” as posed in the query “true or false?” Mariko’s music and essence aim to consistently illuminate the one single truth in life: that we are all equal and deserving of love.
Growing up in Philadelphia, her love of music was crafted early on by the Pop/R&B sounds of Whitney Houston, the emotionally deep ballads of Mariah Carey, and the fun Dance tunes of Robyn. This is reflected in her songwriting and voice as she’s often recognized for her effortless soprano high notes and trills.
She has performed at notable Philadelphia venues including The Fillmore, TLA, Time, and Trocadero. Additionally, she was recognized as a Pop Finalist in the 2016 PHL Live competition series. Prior to the pandemic, she completed a year long residency at Assembly Lounge with her frequent musical collaborator Larry E.
She teams up again with Larry E. for their debut EP “Origami Heart,” due in early 2021. The album boasts four songs that feature a live band, recorded with Grammy-nominated engineer David Ivory, and accentuates them with a pop/dance single titled, "Time for Love." In the crowning ballad “When I Met You,” Mariko contemplates finding the true meaning of love:
Kissing in the moonlight/ Gently hold my hand/ Thought I knew what love was/ I didn’t understand.
The potent string section during the song’s climax accentuates that it’s not the simplistic and whimsical definition she originally thought it was:
Words can’t explain/ What dreams can’t contain/ I finally found what love was/ When I met you.
It's in these songs that a deeper understanding, essentially the truth, is laid bare for all to see.
There is only ONE…
Mariko