“Fit To Heal The Devil” is Mariami’s Stirring Clarion Call to Heal From Abuse in the Music Industry and Beyond

Mariami5_crop_sm — Mariami, photo courtesy the artist

Mariami reveals her own experience of managerial abuse in the music industry in her song “Fit To Heal The Devil.” With drifts of moody atmosphere and bright, melodic vocals Mariami outlines how so much of that abuse is internalized as she felt she had to bury her pain and sense of having to hide what was going on under the idea that maybe that was what everyone had to tolerate in order to have a real career in music. Fortunately Mariami found pretending that everything was okay intolerable enough to part ways with her manager but the poignancy of the tone of her vocals evokes the time before she had the impetus to seek better for herself. Sure, the song is specifically about the music industry, which was revealing itself to have more than a few pockets of shady behavior before the #MeToo movement got off the ground for example when it was revealed that a well-known PR company representative turned out to be an abusive creep, but it could be relatable to anyone who has been suffering abuse and exploitation in any context. The power and clarity of Mariami’s voice in the song shining through the haze and downtempo beat of the song, even as they compliment and highlight the message, is stirring stuff. As the title of the song suggests it’s not a moment to sink into despair but a starting place of reconciliation, holding the violators to account and to heal from the effects of abuse. Listen to “Fit To Heal The Devil” on Soundcloud and follow Mariami at the links below.