Meet Okorie “OkCello” Johnson | Cellist, Looper, Improviser, Composer, Storyteller, and creative whose work is inspired by the Black/African Diaspora

We had the good fortune of connecting with Okorie “OkCello” Johnson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Okorie “OkCello”, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Honestly, there wasn’t a thought process.

I have played the cello since I was 6 years old, and along the way, there were moments when I put the cello down with no intention of picking it back up. Thankfully, the cello has always had a mind and agenda of its own and never let me completely stop. It would invariably bring some opportunity into my life – a band, session work, lessons, a concert – to reinvigorate my relationship with and passion for the instrument.

This most recent phase of our relationship – the OkCello chapter – is no less mystical and cello-inspired. The first major moment of this reenvigoration happened when I was 40. A detour through a painful, failed film production career awakened in me a new awareness of the cello as the center of my creative identity, along with a looping facility, a capacity to write music, and an ability to dream and pitch cello music, concerts, and experiences into fruition.

It wasn’t until a major life transition – a divorce – that I needed to depend upon the cello and the money I could generate from it to support my life. All of the formalization of this creative process into a sustainable business came as a result of the desperation of that situation. Luckily, the work I was doing was in demand and turned out to be somewhat lucrative, and I found a support network, both personal and professional, to assist me in managing its trajectory.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Gosh. There is so much to this question.

So, I am a cellist. And, at the center of my art and career is the relationship I have with my cello.
It’s not a relationship that is rooted in my passion to master my craft, but rather an openness to the wisdom I think it shares with me in the way it invites me to improvise and to create music and experiences from those improvisations, and the people and opportunities it invites into my life that I never would encounter otherwise. Strange, I know. But, I really think of the cello as a sagacious elder that is leading me on a journey into my destiny—kind of Merlin-like. The foundation of that relationship is improvisation and a deference to the things it brings to and through me that arrive through that meditative process/dialogue I have with the instrument.

From there, I am a looper and composer, which means I use a simple computer to record and playback my live performances. This allows me to create the experience of an ensemble of cellos on stage. The multiplication of sound and ideas creates a powerful compositional opportunity that the audience marvels at and feels more deeply than when experiencing only the solo cello.

Next, I use this unique live music experience to tell stories that I set up in elaborate introductions and finish with the sonic plots created with the songs that follow. The way that I deliver these song stories incorporates a variety of strategies that center the audience and hopefully create a memorable and one-of-a-kind experience.

Finally, my songs, stories, and sometimes traditions are informed by my relationship with the Black/African Diaspora. I am attracted to the relics of African culture and narrative that show up in our modern music in quiet but detectable ways, and I find that my audiences and I are often moved when those elements are made visible.

Finally, the big surprise of my music is that I make all of this seem light, accessible, and engaging – things not associated with the cello or the big academic ideas I often deal with.

These are the things that make me and my music.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Okay. I’m not sure about the order here or what to do first. But these are the places that I like and that I would recommend.

Food:

Bon Ton and Papi’s are cool, casual Friday night spots. Not too expensive and reliable.

Prison Tacos and Lee’s Bakery are my favorite places for tacos and Bahn Mis. Both feel authentic in ways I am not qualified to assess, but I like them.

Banshee and Octopus Bar – these are not super upscale, but still nicer than a casual spot. Funky and different, but nice.

Toast on Lennox. The food at Toast is on fire. I like the one that is actually on Lennox.

Night Life:

So many of the places I used to go are no longer around – Yin Yang, Sound Table, Wild Peach/Pitch (I think that is it. I can’t remember the name. House Club). I am old. But, MJQ is still hanging on. Also, I think everyone should experience Edgewood on a Saturday Night. Lots of clubs, people, music, and energy. I love that they shut the street down. I am too old to know the new spots to go to. I heard there is a 50 and over club out near me. I want to go to Ellery’s!

Music:
I play at City Winery yearly, and I see a lot of amazing shows there. So, I have to include them. And, I would be remiss without mentioning Eddies Attic, Smith’s Olde Bar, and Apache. Lots of memories in those places. I am super sad that Gallery 992 shut down. It and Kebbi were must see places/experiences in the city.

Hang Out:

Little Five Points is always a vibe. I have been going there in some capacity since 1993. I am now really into Chairs in East Point. It’s near my house, super laid back, and it has a foosball table!!!! I love that!

Nature and Trails
East Side Belt Line to Piedmont Park. A little too crowded now, but still a must-see.
West Side Belt Line and Lee and White. I am digging this area. It’s not too popular yet. The Food Hall is bussin, though! O love the bar area. I like the West Side Park. However, my favorite of all time is Sweet Water Creek Park. I love to go canoeing there. Any close friend of mine, I take canoeing. It’s how you know I love you.

Skating
The most Atlanta thing you can do is go skating. You have to hit Cascade on a Sunday night, or if you don’t want to wait in line, I go to Sparkles in Smyrna. One of my favorite things to do in the City.

IYKYK
Neither of these are my scene, so you won’t see me at either, but if you are talking about quintessential ATL things, you gotta hit up the Clairemont Lounge and Magic City. I can neither confirm or deny that I have ever done either.

I think this would be an action-packed week in Atlanta.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
While I have been on this current OkCello journey for the last decade, and many people have contributed to the early success of that venture, the last 4 years have been challenging and also perhaps the most important and successful of my career. My wife, Chaunesti Webb-Johnson, has been with me, it seems, from the very moment that my career started to take off and complicate, and she has supported and counseled me through some of the highest highs and the lowest lows. She has been muse and coach, and the current 4th album is the result of all of the ways she has poured into me philosophically, emotionally, and artistically. This forthcoming project, I believe, represents a maturity in my art and perspective that could only have come about as a result of her love and engagement.

Shout out to her! She has been my rockstar.

Website: https://www.okcello.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/okcello

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/okcello1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/okcello

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/okorskin

Image Credits
Steve West
Christina Baur