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Nkosi looks to conquer world with Renaissance

Renaissance man: Bermudian Nkosi Hollis, known by his stage name Da’Khari Love

A young musician with dreams of inspiring others through his music has taken his first steps to this goal with the release of his debut album.Nkosi Hollis, who uses the stage name “Da’Khari Love”, released Renaissance through online streaming sites — and has been met with support to the tune of more than 3,000 listeners.The 22-year-old said: “I feel amazing — the response has been overwhelming. People have been sending me messages and letting me know that they literally have listened to it every day, non-stop, on repeat, because they’re songs they can connect to!”He added: “I really just want people to feel inspired — I love to inspire people and to let them know to keep going, especially in this day and age.”Mr Hollis, from Pembroke, said that he released the eight-track album last month after six months of work. Renaissance touches on themes of love and the stresses of young adulthood, as well as social problems.Mr Hollis said: “It’s more encouraging music just to keep them going through their day to day lives, no matter what’s happening.”He added: “It’s mainly aimed towards young people but it’s relatable to anyone — anyone can listen to it and feel inspired and feel connected to me as an artist.”The part-time musician, whose day job is as a customs agent for British Airways, said that Renaissance was produced with the help of Craig Simons, who has worked with top artists such as Bermudian reggae star Collie Buddz.Mr Hollis said that he had planned to make an album for two years before he started production. He added that he had released a few songs under his real name, many of which involved other artists, and wanted to create an album that showed his growth.Mr Hollis said that Renaissance was also a way to show himself that he had what it took to be successful in the music industry.He added: “I wanted to have my project out as a way for me to say ‘hey, I can do this’, so it’s more so inspiration for myself.”Mr Hollis is also looking at other avenues to have Renaissance shared, including through CDs and radio play. He is also developing music videos and remixes of his more popular songs, as well as working on plans to set up concert opportunities.Mr Hollis said that his goal was to “globalise” himself inside the next five years with a world tour and work with other musicians. He added that he hoped to prove to local musicians that is was possible to achieve international recognition.He said: “If you want to pursue this dream as an artist and reach different heights that you never knew you could reach, then I want to show that it’s definitely possible.”