From the moment she could hum a tune, Mariko carried music in her soul. She penned her first song at just seven years old, setting the stage for a lifelong love of performance.
Growing up in New Jersey, she fed her passion for performance through cheerleading and by participating in her school’s theater program. As she grew older, her singing and songwriting gifts became both her joy and her way to cope with life’s challenging circumstances.
In 1992, Mariko moved to Denver with her young children and husband, who had a potential job offer working with heavy equipment. “He didn’t like it in Denver, but I did,” Mariko remembered. “He moved back.”
Connection in a new community
While navigating life as a single mother, Mariko became deeply involved with the Five Points neighborhood in Denver. Established in the 1860s, Five Points was often referred to as the “Harlem of the West.” Once known for its numerous jazz clubs that featured stars such as Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, and Nat King Cole, it became a place where African American residents thrived and could celebrate their culture.
Through connection to the Five Points community and her artistic gifts, Mariko passed creativity down to her children, inspiring a new generation to find joy in expression and performance. Together, she and her seven children attended local plays and performed as a family at a Kwanzaa event. “I love the people rooted in that community,” Mariko reminisced.
Through hardship that followed, it was her connection to family and the people of Five Points that brought her joy. Mariko escaped an abusive marriage after being hospitalized, lost her job, and lost her home to a fire in 2005. She has experienced four heart attacks and one stroke in the past decade and has spent much of her time recovering from both mental and physical trauma. Now, her days are filled with caring for her grandchildren and trying to stay healthy through a variety of therapies.
Connecting to others through performance
When a prominent Five Points photographer passed away in early 2023, it forced Mariko to reflect again on her beloved community and how much it had changed over the years. She dreamed that she would be able to express her feelings by sharing the songs she had written over the years.
“It’s not just the performing—it is about having a platform to get my songs out. That is how I express myself,” Mariko explained. “I feel connected with others when I perform, and I have this desire to bring connectedness to the community.”
Wish of a Lifetime from AARP was honored to give Mariko an opportunity to perform songs she had written on stage in the neighborhood that means so much to her.
“I knew it would be a challenge for me, but something I was also looking forward to,” Mariko reflected. “I went a full 90 minutes without having to take breaks. Having the stamina to rehearse, stand up, and perform was something I was really proud of. I kept praying all would go well and it did. It felt like God had this in store for me.”
A wish to reimagine her future
Equally meaningful to Mariko were the community connections and networking that happened after the concert. She found inspiration from the many concert attendees who represented different businesses and organizations that she could be involved with moving forward.
“The overall impact was the connection—realizing that we are all connected and understanding how I can be of service to other people in the community,” Mariko said.
Now at 66, Mariko’s dreams for the future include finishing a master’s degree in Numerology, traveling more, reading, and seeing old friends from her hometown. “The concert helped me reawaken my future and what I really want for my life.”
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