Charles Koroma, who is a municipal manager on weekdays, is competing this weekend in Melodifestivalen as C-Joe.
Photo: SVEN LINDWALL
C-Joe during his performance on the center stage.
Photo: SVEN LINDWALL
The whole idea for “Ahumma” is to spread Afrobeats to the Swedish people. 32-year-old Charles Koroma came to Sweden from Sierra Leone as an eleven-year-old and has lived with music all his life.
But the fact that he would be in Melodifestivalen was far from predetermined. Rather than investing wholeheartedly in music, Charles Koroma, or C-Joe as he also calls himself, has trained as a sociologist and built a civil career in Vallentuna municipality.
– I get to be Charles Koroma, sociologist, Monday to Friday while I’m an artist on the weekends, he says and continues:
– I think it works very well. I know it’s a big contrast and people are shocked, but at the same time, I’ve always been into music, no matter what I’ve been working on.
Have taken vacation for Melodifestivalen
Eight years ago, he started at the Social Administration in Vallentuna municipality. And there he has remained.
– My nine-to-five job, it’s fun. It’s like any other person’s job. I’ve been doing it since 2016, so I know it – I’m the boss.
Several of his colleagues will be on site in Gothenburg today.
– They have always known that I was involved in music.
Ahead of Melodifestivalen’s second competition, he has taken a week off – and should a need to be off before March arise, there should be no difficulties for him to solve it.
– I have a good dialogue with my boss, there are no strange things.
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