iSound

Combining sultry, soul-soaked vocals with an incendiary live performance, Mar'ja is an emerging artist of undeniable power. Through her expanding catalog of self-penned songs, she reveals a rich range of BLUES/R&B that pays homage to a classic form while delivering a refreshingly progressive approach to this genre. "I've been singing all my life," reveals Mar'ja. It began when she moved with her family from their small Arkansas town to Los Angeles. Mar'ja's father was a minister, so her first performances were in the sanctified halls of the church. Despite his clerical vocation her father always encouraged Mar'ja to learn about secular music, especially the Blues, as well as Gospel. Consequently, Koko Taylor, Aretha and Etta James were all early influences. "A lot of ministers don't allow this kind of music in the house, but my parents were cool; they new I could sing," recalls Mar'ja. And sing she did; anywhere and everywhere - from talent contests t...