Jason Okan
About
Jason Okan comes with one clear goal - to speak life and light into the darkest of places with his message of hope in the face of sadness, despair, and depression. His songs are rife with a global sound that speaks to the human experience.
Jason Okan was born in the city of Lagos, Nigeria as the third child among four siblings. At the age of 3 he was diagnosed with polio which left him partially lame in one leg. Despite the physical setback, he found solace in music of all kinds. From bluegrass, to Christian contemporary music, to hiphop and rap in his teenage years, no genre was inaccessible to him.
He started singing in his church choir from the age of 10 and realized that he took to music easily. As he grew older, he discovered pop music and never looked back. At 16, he started trying to write music, realized he wasn't very good at it, but didn't give up till he wrote a full song after months of trying. He lets out a hearty laugh, "I'm not sure I even know where that song is now. All I remember is feeling so proud of myself for finally writing a full length song that wasn't rubbish."
From the shores of the city of Lagos to the climes of the United States and other European countries where he and his family would often vacation, his mind was opened even further to the beauty of jazz, soul, and r 'n' b. His music is rife with messages of hope, healing, and the voiceless finding their voice.
His debut single "Light at the End" is a culmination of heartbreak, loss, and a raging against the dying of hope. "I wrote it for other people first, before I wrote it for me." He offers a dry chuckle, "Heartbreak is powerful, but so is hope. It can give you something to live for. That's what I want to give people; hope."
