Marzuki
Encyclopedia
Marzuki was an indie
folk rock
band from Holland, MI, with a significant fan base in western Michigan
in the mid to late 1990s. They were especially popular among Hope College
, Calvin College
, and Grand Valley State University
students. Marzuki's members included Shannon Stephens on vocals and guitar, Jamie Kempkers on cello, Matthew Haseltine (brother of Jars of Clay
's Dan Haseltine
) on guitar and bass, and Sufjan Stevens
on guitar, percussion, and the more exotic instruments (especially the recorder
). Their lyrics often explored spiritual or romantic themes.
Marzuki was named after Sufjan Stevens'
brother, Marzuki Stevens
, a professional long-distance and marathon
runner.
Indie (music)
In music, independent music, often shortened to indie music or "indie" is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing....
folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
band from Holland, MI, with a significant fan base in western Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
in the mid to late 1990s. They were especially popular among Hope College
Hope College
Hope College is a medium-sized , private, residential liberal arts college located in downtown Holland, Michigan, a few miles from Lake Michigan. It was opened in 1851 as the Pioneer School by Dutch immigrants four years after the community was first settled...
, Calvin College
Calvin College
Calvin College is a comprehensive liberal arts college located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1876, Calvin College is an educational institution of the Christian Reformed Church and stands in the Reformed tradition of Protestantism...
, and Grand Valley State University
Grand Valley State University
Grand Valley State University is a public liberal arts university located in Allendale, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1960, and its main campus is situated on approximately west of Grand Rapids...
students. Marzuki's members included Shannon Stephens on vocals and guitar, Jamie Kempkers on cello, Matthew Haseltine (brother of Jars of Clay
Jars of Clay
Jars of Clay is a Christian rock band from Nashville, Tennessee. They met at Greenville College in Greenville, Illinois.Jars of Clay consists of Dan Haseltine on vocals, Charlie Lowell on piano and keyboards, Stephen Mason on lead guitars and Matthew Odmark on rhythm guitars...
's Dan Haseltine
Dan Haseltine
Daniel Paul "Dan" Haseltine is an American singer best known as lead vocalist for Christian alternative folk rock group Jars of Clay. Haseltine has performed vocals, piano, accordion, percussion and most recently, melodica, while with Jars of Clay...
) on guitar and bass, and Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens is an American singer-songwriter and musician born in Detroit, Michigan. Stevens first began releasing his music on Asthmatic Kitty, a label co-founded with his stepfather, beginning with the 1999 release, A Sun Came...
on guitar, percussion, and the more exotic instruments (especially the recorder
Recorder
The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple...
). Their lyrics often explored spiritual or romantic themes.
Marzuki was named after Sufjan Stevens'
Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens is an American singer-songwriter and musician born in Detroit, Michigan. Stevens first began releasing his music on Asthmatic Kitty, a label co-founded with his stepfather, beginning with the 1999 release, A Sun Came...
brother, Marzuki Stevens
Marzuki Stevens
Marzuki Stevens is a professional long distance and marathon runner from Detroit, Michigan. Marzuki finished 5th among Americans at the Chicago Marathon on October 10, 2004, and 20th overall at the Boston Marathon, 2006. He qualified for the 2008 Olympic Trials.Marzuki Stevens is the brother of...
, a professional long-distance and marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
runner.
Discography
- Marzuki (MS Records, 1996)
- No One Likes a Nervous Wreck (MS Records, 1998)