Discovery of the Week: Signmark
How a groundbreaking hip-hop artist shattered industry rules by feeling the bass vibrations and rapping in sign language
Marko Vuoriheimo was born in Helsinki in 1978 and has been deaf since birth. Despite this, he was drawn to music from early childhood, even though it was inaccessible to him.
He first learned to perform songs in sign language during Christmas caroling. To perfect his performances, he spent a lot of time in front of a mirror. However, his future path proved to be highly challenging. When Marko was 14 years old, a school teacher forbade him from attending music class, stating that he could not do so simply because he was deaf. Later, when Marko signed along to the music at a disco, a guy who decided to hit him claimed that the way Marko used sign language was too provocative.
He first learned to perform songs in sign language during Christmas caroling. To perfect his performances, he spent a lot of time in front of a mirror. However, his future path proved to be highly challenging. When Marko was 14 years old, a school teacher forbade him from attending music class, stating that he could not do so simply because he was deaf. Later, when Marko signed along to the music at a disco, a guy who decided to hit him claimed that the way Marko used sign language was too provocative.
Despite these obstacles, Marko did not abandon his idea of pursuing music and began translating the lyrics of popular songs into sign language. He later explained that music is what brings people together, adding that he had wanted to sing and dance like Michael Jackson and have others join him. This inspired him to suggest to his friends that they record a rap song performed in sign language as well.
This decision became a crucial step towards securing the world's first contract for a deaf musician with a major record label, Warner Music Group.
Marko Vuoriheimo began his musical career in 2004, and the debut album Signmark, under his project of the same name, was released in 2006. The album featured eight tracks, many of which touched upon the history and culture of the deaf community. At the start of his journey, his band consisted of his close friends, Heikki Soini and Kim Eiroma. Marko wrote the lyrics and translated them into sign language, while the other band members handled the music and vocals. The band disbanded in 2009. Following this, Marko pursued a solo career as Signmark, releasing the album Breaking the Rules in 2010 and Silent Shout four years later.
His albums are released simultaneously on CD, featuring audio tracks with vocals, and on DVD, where the artist performs every track in sign language. Signmark performs extensively worldwide, tracking the rhythm through the vibrations of the beat and the bassline while rhyming in sign language.
In addition, he participated in the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, performing the song “Speakerbox” alongside Osmo Ikonen. Since 2010, he has been traveling the world as a special envoy for the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
Some of Signmark's wildest performances took place in Russia. He recalled that sixteen hundred people attended his Moscow concert in 2013, with some even translating his songs into Russian. He noted that he had to leave through the back door accompanied by two deaf bodyguards who were Olympic wrestlers.
Marko's new project is an app called Chabla, designed to help hearing and deaf people understand each other better worldwide. In October 2018, he visited Russia's northern capital to give a lecture and assess the prospects for his application. Following his presentation at the Higher School of Economics, students refused to let him go, continuing to ask questions about the unusual fate of the Finnish musician.
Marko explained that coming from Finland had partially helped him succeed, as he was entitled to interpreters and had the opportunity to study. He noted that Finland provides many opportunities for young musicians, but emphasized that his passion for music had the greatest impact. He added that meeting the right people at the right time and in the right mood was incredibly helpful.
Marko believes that there is still plenty of work for him to do in his home country. He mentioned that while people likely expect to hear that things are improving in Finland, the situation from a medical perspective is actually worsening. According to him, parents with a deaf child often panic and do not know what to do, while doctors insist on the use of cochlear implants and discourage learning sign language. He recalled that in his time, parents had to learn sign language to understand their deaf children. In his view, people who use sign language should be perceived as a linguistic minority.
This decision became a crucial step towards securing the world's first contract for a deaf musician with a major record label, Warner Music Group.
Marko Vuoriheimo began his musical career in 2004, and the debut album Signmark, under his project of the same name, was released in 2006. The album featured eight tracks, many of which touched upon the history and culture of the deaf community. At the start of his journey, his band consisted of his close friends, Heikki Soini and Kim Eiroma. Marko wrote the lyrics and translated them into sign language, while the other band members handled the music and vocals. The band disbanded in 2009. Following this, Marko pursued a solo career as Signmark, releasing the album Breaking the Rules in 2010 and Silent Shout four years later.
His albums are released simultaneously on CD, featuring audio tracks with vocals, and on DVD, where the artist performs every track in sign language. Signmark performs extensively worldwide, tracking the rhythm through the vibrations of the beat and the bassline while rhyming in sign language.
In addition, he participated in the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, performing the song “Speakerbox” alongside Osmo Ikonen. Since 2010, he has been traveling the world as a special envoy for the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
Some of Signmark's wildest performances took place in Russia. He recalled that sixteen hundred people attended his Moscow concert in 2013, with some even translating his songs into Russian. He noted that he had to leave through the back door accompanied by two deaf bodyguards who were Olympic wrestlers.
Marko's new project is an app called Chabla, designed to help hearing and deaf people understand each other better worldwide. In October 2018, he visited Russia's northern capital to give a lecture and assess the prospects for his application. Following his presentation at the Higher School of Economics, students refused to let him go, continuing to ask questions about the unusual fate of the Finnish musician.
Marko explained that coming from Finland had partially helped him succeed, as he was entitled to interpreters and had the opportunity to study. He noted that Finland provides many opportunities for young musicians, but emphasized that his passion for music had the greatest impact. He added that meeting the right people at the right time and in the right mood was incredibly helpful.
Marko believes that there is still plenty of work for him to do in his home country. He mentioned that while people likely expect to hear that things are improving in Finland, the situation from a medical perspective is actually worsening. According to him, parents with a deaf child often panic and do not know what to do, while doctors insist on the use of cochlear implants and discourage learning sign language. He recalled that in his time, parents had to learn sign language to understand their deaf children. In his view, people who use sign language should be perceived as a linguistic minority.
- Tuuli TalvinenFounder & Editor-in-ChiefInterviewer