Jacky Gosee: Healing Through Music

 

 

Jacky Gosee (Gossaye Kellemu) born in Ethiopia then relocated to The Netherlands at a young age has been overcoming many barriers to achieve his goal in establishing himself as an artist. AddisZefen.com met Jacky Gosee in his hometown The Hague, in The Netherlands to talk about his recently released single titled “mama, rest in peace” and his future plans.

 

 

AddisZefen: Let me start by saying congratulations on your latest release (Click here to listen Jacky Gosee’s songs). People’s response has been very positive and many of them seem to feel your pain?

 

Jacky Gosee: Yes, this is my way of dealing with my loss. We all have lost someone we love at some stage of our life. What makes my situation a bit different is the fact that I was not able to travel to Ethiopia to share my pain with the rest of my family because of my situation at the time. I was still in the process of getting my residence permit and as a result I could not travel. It was hard accepting the situation I found myself in.

 

AddisZefen: I know you now for quite sometime and I’ve been to many of your concerts. But can you tell us how this all got started? How long have you been in the music business?

 

Jacky Gosee: Yes, it has been all about music for me since I can remember. Back home in Ethiopia, when we’re growing up, I use to sing for kids in the neighborhood. At age 9 I joined the Hitsanat Theater and was lucky enough to have had professional music classes from Mulu Gebeyehu. Mulu Gebeyehu was the head of the Ras Theater Cultural Group and more recently one of the judges of the popular Ethiopian Idols Show.

 

AddisZefen: Correct me if I’m wrong, this is not your first CD release?

 

Jacky Gosee: No, you are right. Three years after I joined the “Hitsanat Theater” we (Yodit Zeleke, Amelework Girma and myself) released a CD titled “ye’wolajoch getoch”(parents jewels). That was my first CD I co-released with the two girls I mentioned earlier. A couple years later I left home for life in the Western world.

 

AddisZefen: You are one of the few artists I know that are successfully integrating traditional Ethiopian way of singing into Urban music. What is your secret?

 

Jacky Gosee: Well, I believe one needs to know both cultures if one is to merge these different styles into something that is harmonious. I try to integrate Urban music into our culture. Not the other way around.

 

AddisZefen: How was it to be back home in Ethiopia after so many years?

 

Jacky Gosee: It was great to be back home after all these years. Seeing old friends, meeting new ones. I really did enjoy it. I can’t wait to go back again to work on the Album am working on. I did also shoot my first video clip during my stay in Addis. Yeah, home sweet home!

 

AddisZefen: I know you are busy with your next album. Any chance dropping it on the market anytime soon?

 

Jacky Gosee: Yeah, it is a bit hard to work from here. I’ve to go back to Ethiopia to complete this album. Hopefully, I’ll be able to do that in the near future.

 

AddisZefen: Thank you for talking to AddisZefen.

 

Jacky Gosee: My pleasure. I love your station. I would like to thank Rozan Martin for the professional work he has delivered on the guitar and my friend KUCHY for recording the song and his professional support. Thank you.