Today we’d like to introduce you to Jon Muq.
Jon, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in the slums of Kampala, the capital of Uganda. As a young boy, I grew up in a confusion of discovering myself through trying everything I can. This is because life was not easy with less food and clean water. Every day I walked 10 miles barefoot to and from school with my two sisters. It’s through my primary school that I got introduced to music, we had a blowing instrument band that played the anthems at school parades once a week and I really liked the sound, I always attended their practices just to watch… I still did not know why I was so drawn to that. Not until one day I was given a bugles to try and I blew it very well… all the guys were really impressed too, it was like I had played it before in my mind. I later joined the band not until when I turned 11 I was taken to a different boarding school.
Life became very tough. I was not used to being away from home but had no choice; it was very challenging. As time went on while copying up with the new school environment, one night I heard people singing very late at night, I got my small torch/flashlight, it was really dark cos all students were sleeping, I walked with my flashlight looking for the sound, it was coming from the third flow of one of the school building, I looked for the room and then I found a group of young men and women singing choir songs it was really lovely, thats when I realized the school has a choir… I sat and watched, did that for like two weeks I joined choir sang there for one year, rest of the years I could sing by myself in English, when I had some free time… after four years of that level I left the school.
In holidays I could sing all the time. I heard of a song called ‘We are the world”. I loved that song a lot, its the only song in English that I tried singing. I have always admired singing in English.
For some reason, I always had loved western music, and I always had many questions why western music was done different in terms of art instrumentations… to me, it was very adorable…
One evening I was walking alone in the evening on a rainy day, all roads were muddy, I heard a sound of a guitar coming from a fence and someone was singing. I couldn’t believe the sound not until I went and knocked on the gate where the sound was coming from when they opened. I introduced myself and told them I loved the sound, it was two friends the guy was playing and the girl was singing.
In my life at 19, it was my first time to ever touch or see a guitar in my whole life… I kept looking at the guy playing and just smiling, deep with in me I got a strange feeling, “this instrument is going to answer all my questions” I was happy that day I never sleepy I kept thinking about that instrument, next day I went back to just stare, then I started asking him how his big fingers were fitting in the guitar frets, he was just laughing… to cut story short these guys became my friends, weeks past by me going there picked up their guitar in breaks and tried playing.
For some reason, this guy heard me sing and he was shocked so he started trusting me with his guitar, I made sure I practiced it all by myself figuring out what to play… One day I was walking with my best friend a Lex to drop his guitar back, I saw along line of people and I asked the last person in the line what was going on, he told me its job interview for the new hotel in our area, I told my friend I am joining the line he was shocked, at this time I wanted to test myself if I can sing for people with the guitar, I was so shabby that day my feet was so dusty but I believed I deserved a chance, everyone looked at me and thought I am crazy, when my turn reached, I was asked what I want I told them I want to sing at there hotel during dinner time, they asked me to sing and I sang “All of Me” by John Legend.. they were shocked I got the job starting that night, and my salary was free dinner. I was very very happy…
Funny I knew only seven songs and not perfect lol, first night went well it taught me many lessons I learnt more, when the guitar owner heard about my job he was really happy he always lent me his guitar, did that for six months and stopped working cos I finished singing very late and I had to walk back home which was dangerous, I asked for transport money from the hotel owner her did not want to pay me at all. I sadly guilt this was a big challenge, I decided to keep practicing and one day, my friend told me he was having relationship problems. I was sad for him and I asked if I could write for him a letter to give to his girlfriend, cos he was not good at English, letter worked so well saved their relationship, so I told him to steal it and give it back cos I wanted to make it my first song. Which was successful. that was what brought me into writing songs. My best friend told me, “you are going to travel the world” I will never forget those words.
My friend always was there for me a lot… I started college for industrial designing, I never sang at school at all no one in my class knew I was into music. I always tried going to different small venues to play. To me, it was a learning process… After school 2017… I had no job and I decided that I will do music full time.
Since a few people listened to English music and were making fun of me singing in English, I started singing for homeless children/people… they had no choice; they really just loved to watch even though they did not understand what I was singing. I did this for 6months; all the tips I got id share them with the homeless people.. one day, I posted a video on social singing for a disabled homeless man, video was shared and next thing getting a contract from Norwegian cruise line to be a musician, to me this was like a joke but it was serious, I looked at the photo of the boat, it was very big for me to believe its possible, tried showing my friends they all thought maybe its photoshop, after a few weeks I had no choice but to accept the offer, its that same year that I got a chance to leave Uganda or event seat on a plane, this happened so so fast since then my life changed, I sang on cruiseline for six months after my contract I decided not to do another contract but push to the next level…
I ended up in Austin to learn and for some reason people were like you in the right city for music, in that week I arrived I went and sang for a nonprofit fundraiser for a refugee home here in Austin called Casamarianera, through that its when I meant John Dismukes and his wife, they took me into there home taught me lots of this about texas and American stuff and I am forever grateful, And also grateful to the many people that have been there for me in this journey.
Living in Austin/America is still like a dream to me. I am learning still and following my dream, so far so good I now have a new manager called Kevin Wommack he is really working hard to get me out there, I am now also a producer produced an album for a musician and a friend called McKenna Michels, which one of her singles is #27 on Ac billboard ad, and also I produce my own music, haven’t released any music, I have one album I made with Jonny Mitchell’s ex Husband Mr. Larry Klein it will be out at the right time, its a wonderful record… As for now, I am working on a recording label deal with Easy eye records its a wonderful label based in Nashville owned by Dan Auerbach from a band called The black keys under concord records. The journey still continues and hoping for the best while working hard.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When I was in Uganda lacked instruments and food those were the biggest worries, that fear of being hungry. Since I moved to a different continent, all challenges have not been challenges rather lessons. Learning a culture is not easy. I have mistakes through the process but still I have learnt from em. Sometimes miss family and friends but I know they all wanted me to follow my dream and be happy which I am doing that keeps me strong day by day.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am Singer-songwriter, producer, Artist and a Businessman.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
I remember waking up every morning walking miles and miles to fetch water from springs well, I remember going to gardens to dig for food, climbing trees 🙂 … playing soccer bare feet, list goes and on.
Contact Info:
- Email: mukhjonathans@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.jonmuqmusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonmuq/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jonmuq
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/JonMuq
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCONhA-kQkZF1jtViuhHMZbw
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/jonmuq
Image Credits
@sandradahdah @marshallmoonphoto
