Ravinia 2023 Issue 2

AMANDA LOPEZ WE ARE HERE Miko Marks makes her second wind a spiritual session BY TRICIA DESPRES THERE WAS A TIME when Miko Marks lived and dreamed alongside the Flint River in the Michigan home of her grandmother, wondering just where her God-given voice would eventually take her. But never did she dream it would eventually take her to Nashville. To be sure, country music did get her attention from an early age, as the stories that served as the backbone to the songs of her youth did touch her heart in a way nothing else could. But making it as a Black woman in a genre in which very few Black women could be found? It just didn’t seem possible. Until it was. Born in Flint, MI, Marks was raised at a time when it was a thriving community to grow up in. “Luckily, through my childhood, I got a chance to experience its vibrance,” reflects the CMT Next Women of Country artist during an interview with Ravinia Magazine. “It’s pretty sad now. The au- tomotive industries have left, and the people are left with basically nothing except dirty water.” The tone of her voice changes, as if to signal that this is a reality that she would rather not dwell on, but somehow change someday through her music. For now, and at this partic- ular moment, the vocal powerhouse seems to better enjoy basking in the memories of her younger days, when music would ebb and flow through her grandma’s house as she listened intently to each and every note. “The music we would listen to ranged from gospel to Motown to country to blues,” remembers Marks, who will play Ravinia Festival on July 13. “I was rooted and grounded in gospel, but I gravitated toward coun- try at a young age because I liked the storytelling of it.” RAVINIA MAGAZINE • JULY 3 – JULY 16, 2023 16