U-JP Cooper ungumculi wesiNgisi nombhali wengoma. Waziwa ngokudlala ku-Jonas Blue eyodwa ethi 'Perfect Strangers'. Ingoma yayidume kakhulu futhi yanikezwa isitifiketi seplatinamu e-UK.
Kamuva uCooper wakhipha ingoma yakhe eyedwa ethi 'September'. Njengamanje usayine ku-Island Records.
Ubuntwana kanye nemfundo
UJohn Paul Cooper wazalwa ngoNovemba 2, 1983 eMiddleton, eManchester, eNgilandi. Wakhulela eManchester enyakatho yeNgilandi nguyise kanye nodadewabo abane abadala. Wazalelwa emndenini wamaKatolika, wachitha iminyaka eminingana eDarlington nogogo nomkhulu wakhe. Umkhulu wakhe nobaba babengabaculi, ngakho imvelo yokudala yayihlala kuye ngokuqondile.
UCooper wafunda ePrince George Elementary School. Kamuva wafunda ibhayoloji nesiNgisi ekolishi. Wayethanda nezemidlalo futhi ekhuthele ebuntwaneni bakhe futhi waya ezindaweni ezahlukene. Kamuva, waba nesithakazelo emculweni, endaweni ethile lapho esemusha, futhi wamfundisa ukudlala isiginci.
Isinyathelo sokuqala sokuphumelela, u-Cooper wasithatha lapho edala iqembu lakhe le-rock lapho esesikoleni. Ugqugquzelwe ngabaculi abafana noDanny Hathaway noBen Harper. Ngiyabonga kubo, ngithole umculo we-soul.
Okuthile okungaphezu komculo nje
UCooper ungumculi ozifundisayo. Uyakwazi ukuba khona ngaphandle komzamo omkhulu ezigxotsheni ezahlukene ze-sound spectrum. Umdwebi uthuthukise amakhono akhe emculweni we-indie rock. Kodwa kamuva wajoyina i-Gospel Choir "Nikeza IVangeli". Amazwi kaCooper kanokusho nesiginci esidlalwa ngobuchwepheshe kuhlanganisa kahle kakhulu kuyo yomibili imihlaba. Lena indie enomphefumulo futhi evela enhliziyweni ehlanzekile.
Uchaza umqondo wokuthi kusho ukuthini ukuba yiciko eliyingqayizivele ngempela. Iciko elidelela ingqungquthela futhi elimelana nokuqhathaniswa.
“Angifuni ukubhekwa njengomculi/umbhali wengoma ngoba abantu bakufaka kuleli bhokisi elimnyama le-troubadour,” kuphawula uJP emamatheka. “Ngifuna ukuba ngaphezudlwana kwalokho. Ngifuna ukwenza umculo omnandi futhi ngikhule. Bengilokhu ngithanda futhi ngincoma abaculi abathuthukayo; abantu abafana noMarvin Gaye, uStevie Wonder, uBjork. Ngithemba ukuthi ngingaba yiciko elihlola futhi liguqule ngendlela efanayo."
Okuhlangenwe nakho okuhle komculo kaJP Cooper ebusheni bakhe
Njengentsha eningi yaseManchester, u-JP wayedlala amaqembu ahlukahlukene esikoleni. Wandisa izinto azithandayo zomculo. Uvakashele njalo isitolo serekhodi se-Vinyl Exchange. Kulapho umthandi womculo osemncane athola khona uBjörk, u-Aphex Twin, uDonny Hathaway noRufus Wainwright.
Ngokunquma ukuya ekolishi, u-JP wagcina ekwazile ukungena ngokuphelele kumathonya akhe ahlukahlukene futhi waqala ukuhlola uhlobo lomculi ayefuna ukuba yilo. “Ngabona ukuthi ngangingafuni ukuthembela kunoma ubani - inqobo nje uma ngikwazi ukulingisa nokubhala, ngizokwazi ukuzimela ngokuphelele. Futhi ngangikwazi ukwenza umculo engangifuna ukuwenza ngaphandle kokuyekethisa.”
Ngenkathi efunda isiginci, u-JP waqala ukuhlola umsindo wakhe ngobusuku be-Open Mic futhi ngokushesha waqala ukubhukha kulo lonke elaseManchester. Kodwa-ke, njengoba wayengumlungu ophethe isiginci, waba matasa kakhulu emaphathini esintu/ama-indie/amaqembu. Engakhululekile ngendawo ayephushelwe kuyo, izethameli zakhe kancane kancane zaqala ukuhlukahluka njengoba ubuqili bomculo wakhe buqala ukuvela.
Ujoyine ikhwaya ye-Sing Out Gospel eManchester futhi wakhulula uchungechunge lwama-mixtape amathathu, okuphawula ukwanda kwabalandeli emhlabeni wasemadolobheni. Ngokushesha wayengagcini ngokuthengisa izindawo ezifana ne-Gorilla eManchester, kodwa futhi ebonisa amakhono akhe emibukisweni yaseLondon. “Lapho ngithola indlela eya emphefumulweni nasezweni lasemadolobheni, yonke into yashintsha ngokuphazima kweso. Kusukela lapho ngikhulile futhi ngakhula futhi ngithole izethameli zami. Kumnandi kakhulu ukuba kulo mhlaba."
Khetha: Indodana noma umculo?
Eminyakeni emine edlule, waba ngubaba okokuqala futhi wabhekana nesinqumo esinzima ngemva konyaka. Enakekela umndeni wakhe, esebenza endaweni yokucima ukoma, ehlala nendodana yakhe njalo ekuseni nasebusuku, ngesikhathi esifanayo, i-Island Records yamnikeza inkontileka yokuyithuthukisa. Wayazi ukuthi lokhu kwakuzosho uhambo oluningi oluya eLondon.
“Bengingafuni ukukhumbula indodana yami isakhula, kodwa bekumele ngakhele ikusasa sobabili. Kwafika lapho ngathola khona leli phupho elikhulu lokwenza umculo futhi zonke lezi zinto ezimangalisayo zenzeka, kodwa ngesikhathi esifanayo ngangingekho kukho konke okusekhaya kimi."
Lesi yisihloko akhuluma ngaso ku-Closer. Uqophe le single ku-EP yakhe ka-2015. Ngemva kokusayina ne-Island Records ezinyangeni ezingu-18 ezedlule, u-JP ukhiphe ama-EP amabili anokuthengwa okungaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-5 okurekhodiwe.
Eyokuqala, ethi Keep The Quiet Out, ikhiqizwe ngokushesha, njengoba bekunjalo nalandelayo, kwaze kwaba ngeyokugcina (Lapho kumnyama) ngababili i-One-Bit. I-EP imele ngokujulile, kodwa ngesikhathi esifanayo isondele kakhulu kimi. “Imayelana nobudlelwano, imizabalazo yabantu, umndeni nengqondo yomuntu, izinto ezixakile neziyinkimbinkimbi zalo mhlaba,” kuchaza uJP.
Abalandeli bakaJP Cooper
Akagcini nje ngokuba nabalandeli abaningi abaku-inthanethi, kodwa futhi nabalandeli abaningi nabangaxhunyiwe ku-inthanethi. Ngonyaka odlule ubambe amakhonsathi amane eLondon, okubalwa kuwo iThe Scala the Village Underground neKoko.
I-EPs, kanye nemidlalo yakhe ebukhoma, iwine i-JP elandelayo njengokungafani njengemisindo yakhe; okuthandwa nguBoy George, abalingisi be-EastEnders, uMaverick Saber, uShawn Mendes kanye no-Stormzy bonke bamdumise, kuyilapho ukusebenzisana kwakamuva nokuthandwa kukaGeorge imbongi kubone u-Cooper ehlukanisa kancane esiteji sezingxoxo zomhlaba jikelele.
“Lona akuwona umhlaba wami nhlobo, kodwa ungifundise okuningi,” uyakhumbula. "Yonke imicabango ngemuva kwakho konke iyangikhuthaza ukuthi ngilwele ukuba ngcono."
I-albhamu yokuqala
Okulandelayo yi-albhamu yokuqala ka-JP, ethembisa ukuthi izoba nkulu futhi ibe nesibindi ngenkathi igcina umuzwa wokuba lula nokwethembeka. Inezici ze-hip-hop, umoya oqinile kanye nesiginci sesitayela sezwe, kanye nama-twist angalindelekile.
“Kuzoba yi-albhamu enesibindi,” usho kanje. “Ngiwathandile amanye amabala emsakazweni futhi ngiyazi ukuthi nginenhlanhla ngokuba nawo ngoba engikwenzayo akufani neze nokuyinto enye. Ngingathanda ukuqhubeka ngale ndlela. Angifuni umculo wami uzwakale njengayo yonke enye into."
U-JP Cooper akayena omunye walaba baculi abajabule ngohlobo oluthile lwemiklomelo. Yingakho enza lo mculo. Akafuni ukubhala amagama abamba ingqondo aheha abantu abaningi ngokubhuqa.
Kodwa-ke, ibizwe ngokuthi "Umsindo Wekusasa lika-2015" nguZane Lowe we-BBC Radio One, umculi womculo wakhe u-Angie Stone. Waqala uhambo lwakhe lwase-UK futhi wawina indawo efiselekayo emcimbini we-SXSW e-Austin, eTexas.
