British musician and 5-time Grammy winner Jacob Collier, one of the world's most acclaimed musicians and also one-quarter Chinese, devotes himself to using the power of the universal language of music
Speaking to Xinhua at a studio in East London ahead of the release of his new song "Witness Me" and forthcoming album "Djesse Vol. 4" set for Feb. 29, the singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist said, "I'm terrifically excited. It's a very exciting moment. I've been working towards this song and this album for a long, long time, many years actually."
Young popular talent
Collier released his latest single "Witness Me" on Nov. 21 which features British rap titan Stormzy, Canadian superstar singer Shawn Mendes, 19-time Grammy-winning gospel singer Kirk Franklin, and a choir of 5000 voices.
"I started to write 'Witness Me' in 2021 with my good friend Shawn Mendes. He's a very golden person. When we met, we talked a lot about how important music can be as a remedy for the world, and how much more powerful music can be when many people do it together," Collier said.
"The song is about a group rather than about an individual. It's really about togetherness, forgiveness, observation, and empathy. There has never been a more important time for these principles in the world than right now," he added.
Collier was the first British artist to receive a Grammy for each of his first four albums. His mixture of jazz, R&B, acapella, gospel, and groove has created a genre able to transcend cultures around the world.
He has also gone viral on social media for his videos, where he transforms his audience into spontaneous choirs across hundreds of shows around the globe.
"Last year when I toured around the world, I recorded in all these venues to build a choir for the album, a 100,000-voice choir." he said. "The sound of this, I can't describe it. It's the most human feeling I've ever experienced. It's like a wall of humanity."
"From the first moment of the album to the last minute, you have a 100,000-voice choir permeating the music. For me, that feels like what life is all about," he said.
Chinese roots
The 29-year-old musical prodigy and London native is partly of Chinese descent through his maternal grandmother.
"Every time I land in China, I always feel like part of me is coming home because I am one-quarter Chinese. I'm very proud of that. The way that people operate in China is so different from here in London. But in other ways, it's just the same," Collier noted.
In November, he staged a performance at the Shanghai Jazz Festival which he called "a miraculous show." "The audience was so energetic, so loving, so full of life and energy. Hearing the audience choir so far from home was a really remarkable sensation for me, and I was very proud to get to offer that to those beautiful people over there."
Collier also stressed that he found inspiration in Chinese culture and traditions, saying "China is extremely powerful right now in the world. There are so many extraordinary ideas and technologies and ancient traditions that live there and are born there. As someone who comes from London, I've always really revered many elements of Chinese culture. I was brought up with Chinese medicine, and it's a really big part of my life."
He went on, "Everyone you meet in the world knows something that you don't know. It's a beautiful thing to learn from each other and different cultures. China is a mammoth market, it's a mammoth source of inspiration and innovation. I'd love to spend more time there as a musician, and really get underneath the surface of what makes those souls stir."
Asked about the message he would like to send to his fans in China, Collier said: "I'm speaking to you from London and beaming so much love and light up to China, wherever you may be. I respect and love your culture and your tradition so very much. I've had such amazing times in China. As somebody who is one-quarter Chinese, I'm very proud to have my roots in China too."
Universal language
After spending years creating at home, Collier went on to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London and the Purcell School for Young Musicians, where he studied jazz piano.
The artist highlighted that he is on a mission to unite people around the globe through common humanity and build bridges across cultures and civilizations.
"The most important language and one of my greatest teachers is music. Within music, we learn everything there is to know in life: we learn about mathematics, physics, chemistry, motions, syntax, grammar, spelling, history, and geography," he said.
"But most importantly, we learn about the heart. We learn about each other. Music moves across borders and barriers, it opens people up rather than closes them down. It's the most extraordinary catalyst for people to come together for each other," he stressed.
Meanwhile, his mentor Quincy Jones, an American record producer, songwriter, and composer, said about Collier: "I have never in my life seen a talent like this. Absolutely mind-blowing."
British superstar rapper Stormzy said: "He's like nothing I've ever seen before, worked with before, listened to before."
