THE TEXT ATL.com

By Keisha Mitchell

What is the Music Industry lacking today? According to Marian Mereba; “…maybe it's missing just one guitar-playing, song-writing Ethiopian queen.” Coming from this 23 year-old Senior Spelmanite who is currently poised and positioned to take the music world by storm, we’ll take her word for her it.

Marian Mereba has been writing music and spellbounding (no pun intended) AUC and Atlanta audiences since her arrival to Georgia from North Carolina in 2009. Through utilizing her unique voice, skilled acoustic set, and relatable girl next door appeal, Mereba aspires to be “one of the most influential people in music through writing, performance, production, community outreach, activism, and philanthropy.” This is a definite possibility as Marian Mereba possesses an uncommon sense of grace and casual cool to accompany her set of skills and professional acumen.

When listening to Mereba, the thing that one notices first is that her music is not what you expected for it to be. As beautiful as she is talented, it’s simple to presume that the young woman taking her place on the stage and casually crossing her leg to better position her guitar is about to croon the usual neo soul or earthy R&B standards of love and loss, resentment, and regret. However, what leaves the lips of Mereba next is an eclectic sound that’s as Dave Matthews Band or Sheryl Crow as it is Alicia Keys or even Kelly Clarkson. When asked where her musical influences stem from, Mereba doesn’t cite artists, rather she pulls from the human experience; “ Love influences everything that I write. Also nature, which I often use as a muse. Human suffering and the ways that we overcome pain also heavily influences my music…lastly, the homies”.

This helps to explain Merebas’ universal appeal in her music and in her message, which is something that she holds very high in her accomplishments as an artist; “The most rewarding thing about my journey thus far is seeing my music touch the most universal emotions in all types of people, whether it be OG's or teenage girls.”

This appeal makes Mereba more than adequate at being able to please crowds of many types, and has helped her climb the ladder of success through working with and opening for pretty notable artists, one of whom came to her institutions’ homecoming this 2010-2011 school year. That experience Mereba says, has been her favorite performance thus far; “opening up for Chrisette Michele. The audience was so alive.”

Even an artist as accessible as Mereba, however, has encountered her share of mainstream resistance. Ironically enough, she says most of the critiques concern her unique style; “perhaps I would say it has been disappointing to be told once in a while to alter my musical style, which is so intertwined with who I am as a person, in order to be more like people whose music I don't even enjoy.” Never one to let disappointments be a damper though, Mereba concludes; “I take most letdowns as positive lessons, truthfully…[So] that also is used as motivation.”

This approach to life and it’s lessons have served Mereba well and will more than likely continue to as she journeys through her sure to be incomparable testimony of success. In the next five years, Mereba doesn’t see any concrete plans for herself but is sure that “ …[I’ll be] living life to the fullest. Not sure where in the world I'll be, but I'm sure I'll have a melody stuck in my head and some good people surrounding me.” When asked what advice she would give to other up and coming artists looking to follow the trek of independent artists she is helping to hollow she says “Have a unique vision for yourself, but stay open to all kinds of opportunities. A lot of times our visions for ourselves can keep us from going down paths we didn't plan for, but taking those little chances could possibly change everything”. With her own EP being currently recorded and prepped for release, and an upcoming graduation from Spelman college where shell be walking across the stage with Honors, Marian Merebas’ future is bright (and busy) to say the least. However, if you’d like to get in contact with Marian or reach her for booking purposes, you can access her at chasing85@gmail.com , or through her facebook fan page, “Marian Mereba” .