Joy Oladokun (born 1992) is an American singer-songwriter Her music spans the genres of folk, R&B, rock, and pop and is influenced by her identity as a queer woman of color She has released a series of studio albums; Carry (2016), In Defense of My Own Happiness (The Beginnings) (2020), In Defense of My Own Happiness (2021)While she had been playing guitar since childhood, it wasn’t until 2015 that Oladokun quit her job and took a shot at realizing her dream of making music full-time She dropped a solo acoustic EP, Cathedrals, that year, and followed it up with 2016’s Carry, a full-band effort that included the single “Shelter,” which introduced her to a wider online audienceRaised in a small rural community in Arizona, Joy Oladokun began playing guitar when she was ten years old Inspired by artists like Tracy Chapman, Lauryn Hill, Bob Marley, and singer/songwriters of the ‘70s, Oladokun began writing songs but initially had no intention of pursuing music as a career, preferring to perform for family and friends, sometimes writing them new tunes as gifts After completing college, Oladokun got a job and was planning to settle into her new position when a friend asked her what she would be doing if money were not a consideration Oladokun replied writing songs and traveling, and her friend urged her to follow her muse before it was too lateOladokun relocated to Los Angeles, and initially landed gigs as a backing vocalist while she honed her craft and played occasional solo shows
musicfestivalsworld.com 2024
