‘I found accents here hard to understand. I felt inferior or stupid at first because of that barrier’

In Rome, John Ocasion rarely felt able to “fully express myself in terms of my nationality and also my queerness”, but in Dublin they’ve found themselves becoming “much more comfortable”, since moving here four years ago.

“I learned a lot about myself here in Dublin. Ever since I moved here, I found people in Dublin are more comfortable being themselves and this really influenced me in how I perceive myself, and how I live my life in my friendships and relationships.”

Ocasion (27) was born in Rome and grew up in a Filipino family.

Ocasion, who uses they/them pronouns, began writing songs in their late teenage years, finding it “more natural to write in English” because of their upbringing.

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“When I was four, my family and I moved to the Philippines for a year. In the Philippines, English is basically our second language. In that sense, the language is very common there. I was so young when I was there, so I absorbed it very quickly and never forgot it,” they say, adding that it was “much easier” for them once they returned to the Italian education system “to adapt and absorb” when taught English.

Ocasion’s family also often played 1980s and 1990s English-language pop music, and attended an international church in Rome, where the primary language spoken was English.

“I used to go with them as a kid, so I was surrounded by the language.”

By the time Ocasion finished their degree in electronic music and sound engineering in Rome, they began working for an independent music label in the city as both an artist and a manager.

‘A bit toxic’

“I got to know better the environment of the independent music industry in Rome and Italy. I wasn’t really satisfied with how it was working. I found it a bit toxic and not very stimulating for me.”

“I was writing music in English but because I was asked to be on this label, I had to compromise this and write in Italian. That was challenging and exciting at first, but then I realised it wasn’t what allowed me to express myself fully. That’s the main reason I decided to move to Dublin.”

The music scene in Dublin is “flourishing” at the moment, Ocasion says, and “allows artists to perform much more often than in Rome”.

“That’s crazy because of course Rome is much bigger than Dublin, but there are less opportunities to make a living out of music.”

In 2019, Ocasion was in a relationship with a Polish woman who had been raised in Ireland and was working in Italy as an au pair.

Now, Ocasion is performing twice a month on average. Their music combines sounds found in commercial pop, synth pop and new wave, and is influenced by rock bands such as Radiohead and Warpaint

“She decided to move back here. I was considering moving somewhere already and in order to keep that relationship going without long distance, it influenced me to go. But mostly it was because it was the right choice for me in terms of my career.”

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Ocasion began a second college degree in the British and Irish Modern Music Institute (BIMM) in Dublin in August 2019 in songwriting commercial modern music. The course “allowed me to explore the areas and the venues that are accessible to emerging artists in Ireland, and I got even more than what I expected from it.”

Now, they’re performing twice a month on average. Their music combines sounds found in commercial pop, synth pop and new wave, and is influenced by rock bands such as Radiohead and Warpaint.

“That’s a good record for me. My goal, of course, is to work more but it’s exactly what I wanted for now.”

Asia agus Éire

A recent gig that stands out in their mind as a milestone in their career was in Dublin’s Workman’s venue, as part of a celebration of Irish and Asian talent, called Asia agus Éire.

“I felt so proud to represent my ethnicity as part of that. It was very wholesome and touching on a personal level, seeing this many Asian artists in one night. There was eight of us. All of us are so different and have a different taste in music and artistry. We have so much to say in our music and lyrics,” Ocasion recalls.

“The response was very positive. Ireland in general, especially Dublin, is like a melting pot of different cultures, but that night I really felt it. That gig really resonated with me.”

Their next gig is on October 25th in Workman’s Cellar, under the stage name Andromeda I.

In Rome, I always thought the gender of being a man didn’t really fit me that much. Ever since I came here there’s much more awareness about being non-binary. I realised the concept of being a man didn’t fit me

—  John Ocasion

While performing, Ocasion feels “very comfortable wearing a skirt or something more feminine”, which they rarely felt able to do in Rome.

“For example, wearing earrings here in Dublin, which is such a simple and small thing, to me feels big because where I come from, you’re made fun of for that with very strong words.”

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“In Rome, I always thought the gender of being a man didn’t really fit me that much. Ever since I came here there’s much more awareness about being non-binary. I realised the concept of being a man didn’t fit me and I define myself as a non-binary person now.”

In Dublin, Ocasion feels “more comfortable saying that in social contexts, without filtering things down because I’m scared of other people’s opinions”.

‘Nest of love’

Sometimes, the culture in Rome around gender and queerness could be “toxic”, they say, “whereas here I’ve found my own nest of love and friendship and safety”.

“Irish people always made me feel at home and very welcomed. There’s always a feeling of niceness when I’m around Irish people and just being taken care of, even from strangers in a bar or cafe.”.

“I think in my first year I was more comfortable with international friends because they know what I’m going through as an immigrant here. That alone gives you a strong connection to someone because they’re going through the same struggles of being alone in a different country for the first time.”

To me, humour is a fundamental thing to get along with someone and there’s a part of me that really connects with Irish humour now

—  John Ocasion

This meant Ocasion’s friend group was mostly made up of Italian, Filipino, British and Swedish people during their first year here.

“I found accents here hard to understand and that meant conversation couldn’t be very spontaneous with Irish people. I felt inferior or stupid at first because of that barrier.”

But the more they warmed up to the accent, and to Irish culture, “now I get along very well with Irish people and also have a big group of friends from here”.

“To me, humour is a fundamental thing to get along with someone and there’s a part of me that really connects with Irish humour now.”

Now that Ocasion has graduated from BIMM, their focus is on “prioritising the release of my two EPs next year”.

“After that, I’ll see where I should end up. Depending on how my career develops here, that will determine whether I’ll stay longer here or move somewhere else.”

We would like to hear from people who have moved to Ireland in the past 10 years. To get involved, email newtotheparish@irishtimes.com or tweet @newtotheparish