Tamara Okoro

I see myself as the Musical Vincent van Gogh of the 21 century.

Let me explain...

One of my earliest memories is sitting in our living room, in Krasnodar, Russia, waiting for my favourite songs to play on TV.

And I was so filled with joy when they played.

I was about 2 years old...

Later, life would take me to 3 continents, and into very different cultures...

But wherever I went, and whatever happened to me, I always carried music within me.

My inner world is never silent.

From the time I wake up, to the time I drift off to sleep, I always have music playing within me. I frequently have conversations with imaginary people in my mind.

And I have suffered, in my life, very much like Vincent van Gogh. My inner experience is very akin to his.

A never ending search for love and human connection...

Being denied that love and connection in the most heart-wrenching ways...

Still, turning the other cheek, and forgiving...

Finding solace in the Christian faith...

Frequently, a grinding inner sense of emptiness...


A lack of being appreciated or understood by the immediate family...

But today, I rise, and the Sun is breathtaking.

I am a traveller, a nomad, and I will reach an Eternal Home.

One day...

Smith College, Northampton, USA - 2008 to 2010

Kuban State Medical University, Krasnodar, Russian Federation - 2013 to 2019