To date, JessKa has nine tracks exploring different musical styles. The artist, who emerged just a year and a half ago, recounts the important moments of his life through his songs. Encounter.
The velvety timbre of his voice, tinged with a soulful touch, transports the listener into a universe of emotions, each note sung being imbued with powerful expressiveness. JessKa, whose real name is Jessica Gopaul Vallet, aged 43, is passionate about singing. She captivated those close to her with her compositions during an intimate evening which took place on Friday April 26 at Chassé de Belle Mare, revealing her artistic talent and her deep connection with music.
The artist, who already released two songs last year, “Where ru now” and “Unchained”, has already built a network of fans. These two songs have more than 130,000 views on YouTube and elsewhere. Now, JessKa wants to get people discovering her music by releasing several tracks through October. The next one, titled “Treasure”, will be released in May. This song talks about friendship and the importance of living in the present, in a Creole reggae style.
JessKa is not limited to a single musical style or language, whether in Creole, French, English, or styles like blues, jazz, reggae, soul or country. His approach is versatile, reflecting his passion for music and writing.
“I don’t restrict myself to a particular style, I like to explore different worlds. What matters most to me is the emotion and the message conveyed by the song. »
Emotions are really at the heart of his songs, because each of them tells a slice of his life, from the birth of his daughter to the death of his mother, including his childhood in Grande-Rivière-Sud-Est. .
“When I’m melancholic, I’ve always felt this visceral need to write. The significant events in my life awaken in me this imperative need to put my emotions down on paper,” she confides.
It all starts in the choir
If JessKa chose to reveal her talent only now, her musical journey began a long time ago. Coming from a family of musicians, she has always been immersed in music. Her father, a pastor, encouraged her to embrace this passion, especially when she joined the choir and began singing gospel at the age of 11.
In the world of music, the instrument is often a life companion. At the age of 13, JessKa began taking guitar lessons, an instrument she has remained faithful to ever since.
However, at the age of 17, she left for South Africa to pursue studies in Administration, Business and Accounting. Passionate about history, she also decided to take theology courses for 3 years.
Alongside her studies, she began to write poems, dozens in fact. These poems gradually transform into song lyrics. However, at that time she had no plans to put them to music. Writing was a way for her to put her personal experiences into words.
It was then that she met musician friends and joined their group. She sings, plays guitar at events and in pubs. JessKa thrives in this universe and truly feels at home.
Back to Mauritius
In 2007, she returned to Mauritius for a sabbatical year. His mother, working in a hotel in the east of the island, got him a job in the animation department. For seven months, with her guitar in hand, she enchanted tourists with her songs until she met the man who would become her husband.
The latter, founder of the events company “Events by Bedouin”, hired him within his company. Over time, a romance blossoms between the two colleagues, who eventually marry. From their union were born a girl and a boy, now aged 14 and 11 and a half.
Between her responsibilities as a mother and her work within the company, JessKa no longer had time to devote herself to music.
“I had relegated music to the background. However, since my family and friends are all musicians, I often found myself playing and singing in small jam sessions with friends at home. »
The click in December 2022
Returning to music was not in her plans until the day she rediscovered her writings. “It was just before the holidays, while we were tidying up the house, that I found a folder in which I had kept all the songs I had written. Then my daughter told me she would throw everything in the trash if something happened to me. That was the trigger. I realized that I wanted to leave my songs as a legacy to my children, because they tell important moments in life,” says JessKa.
She then contacted her friend Richard Hein, owner of Studio Kapricorn, as well as some musician friends, to record three pieces.
When Richard and the other musicians listened to the songs, they told me that I absolutely had to share them with the general public.
In July 2023, she released her debut single “Where RU Now” and “Unchained”, a dynamic music video watched by over 100,000 internet users. Artist to follow.
