Marija Janev

Growing up in Macedonia, Marija Janev’s young life was surrounded by music. In the mid-1990s amidst political upheaval and war in the region, and with growing insecurity for their future, thirteen-year-old Marjia’s parents made the difficult decision to relocate to New Zealand. While she didn’t have language, Marija did have music, and it is through music she began to connect with her new home. This connection to language, place and identity through music sparked something powerful in Marija that she continues to hold on to: she made friends, formed bands, lay down roots and felt like she belonged.

Fast-forward to 2018 and Marija has resettled again, this time in Melbourne. She has her own family, laid new roots, and is still moved by the transformative and therapeutic power of music. Marija’s conviction that music has the power to bring people together, to transcend divides in culture, religion and race, is at the heart of her songwriting. In 2018 Marija has participated in MAV’s Visible Music Mentoring Program to produce a beautiful new track, ‘Awaken’, with mentor Arik Blum.