An Interview With Edward Sylvan
There was a little girl named Daniela at the children’s center that couldn’t run, and play with the other children due to a club foot. She was very self-conscious of her disability and carried very low self-esteem despite how amazingly smart she was.
As a part of our series about music stars who are making an important social impact, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Mighty Joshua.
When he’s not living the life of a professional musician, Mighty Joshua enjoys integrating music for social awareness and celebrating the impact individuals can make. He embraces opportunities for using his platform to amplify social causes at the local and international levels. Mighty Joshua works intimately with a multitude of organizations to help with charitable efforts and for several years he has raised funds for the Makindu Children’s Program in Kenya and also serves on the board of the non-profit.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us a bit of the ‘backstory’ of how you grew up?
I grew up about 8 miles outside of Charlottesville, Virginia. I was raised by very loving parents and two supportive older brothers. We moved from the city to the country the year before I was born to the only home I knew until I turned 18. I had a wonderful childhood.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
There are so many instances that brought me to this specific career path that occurred before and after this event. Even though these instances were staring me in the direction of making music, becoming the lead singer in a reggae band was somewhat accidental. It was never my plan, goal, or intention, but here we are and I love it.
My mother was teaching at an elementary school in Charlottesville. For some reason, I was there with her on a day that a West African drum and dance troupe came to their auditorium for an assembly. The name of the troupe was Chihamba. I can remember sitting next to my mother, maybe 3 rows from the front. The drummers entered in full regalia with the might of 1000 lions. The sound, energy of the drums changed me. I was transported to another place immediately. It was an experience I will remember for the rest of my life. Once they were done, I shook the drummers’ hands and could feel the power in their hands, literally and spiritually. I walked out of that auditorium saying to myself, not knowing how I would, but still saying, “I will do that someday.”
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your career? What was the lesson or take away that you took out of that story?
I don’t know what year this was, but it was with one of my first reggae bands, we were touring through the southeast and I believe we had made our way to Tennessee. We picked up a drummer, a substitute drummer because our drummer wasn’t able to make it at the last minute and we didn’t really know this guy intimately. We knew him as a drummer and he was an amazing drummer but we hadn’t spent that much time with him outside of work. We all loaded up in this van with equipment and stuff all over the place, this van that we would spend several days very close together in. I guess maybe the second day on the tour this guy opens up a bag of snacks that he had prepared at home. When he opens the bag, the smell that comes out of it is overwhelming. I recognized the smell as a boiled egg and turns out he had about three dozen boiled eggs seasoned to his perfection. It was one of the worst smells I think that I had ever smelled in my life and at that point, I realized that I would be smelling it for the next 3 or 4 days. I guess the takeaway from the story is to make sure if you’re going to be in close quarters with someone to talk about the social niceties of traveling in a group.
What would you advise a young person who wants to emulate your success?
Success is relative. How do you measure success when it comes to art? An artist creates because he or she hasn’t a choice. It’s akin to breathing or eating. I love breathing, I love eating, but I need them for life. If you love it, do it, then use it to make things better for the people around you.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you explain how that was relevant in your life?
“Some people feel the rain, and others just get wet.”- Bob Marley
Physically I prefer not being wet; however, in the context of this quote, I hope to always feel the rain. Life is short and I hope to see and receive the blessings vs complaining about the possible challenges, discomforts and sacrifice it may take to get there. Rain makes the flowers grow.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I am so fortunate. I have a list of people that have supported me or pushed me forward in life. Prior to being a singer or frontman in my own band, I was a percussionist for several bands. I never had plans to sing or perform in the way I do today. My bassist encouraged me to sing. I always wrote poems, short stories, but it was just therapeutic for me. Once I wrote my first 2 songs, my bassist worked to arrange them. The same year I wrote those songs, I was reintroduced to a producer/keyboardist that approached me with a project. Even though I was very hesitant, he sent me music to write to. Before I realized it we had come up with 13 songs. I was so immersed in the writing process that I didn’t think about what was ahead… promoting this album, forming a band, performing this album, touring, etc… a new career! My first performance as a solo artist was at the Hampton Colosseum in front of thousands of people. It all seemed like a dream.
Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview, how are you using your success to bring goodness to the world? Can you share with us the meaningful or exciting social impact causes you are working on right now?
When you are the one with a microphone in your hand you have a great responsibility on and off the stage. What good is all the attention unless you can use it to make a change? People are listening and watching even when you think they aren’t. I do work locally and internationally all year round. I get most passionate about the work we do with the Makindu Children’s Center in Kenya E. Africa. I currently serve on the board and have worked to raise money and awareness for the children’s center for over 13 years. The Makindu Children’s Program provides financial, advisory, and technical guidance to Makindu Children’s Center and supports their efforts to provide nutritional, medical, and emotional support, and access to education and vocational training to destitute AIDS orphans and other vulnerable children.
Can you tell us the backstory about what originally inspired you to feel passionate about this cause and to do something about it?
Africa is the motherland of humankind and if we truly want to heal this world we must start there. Africa has been robbed of its people, land, and resources and the continent has suffered because of it. I met a man that at the time had made over 20 trips to Africa, doing “the work.” I knew about the adventures for a cause that he hosted every two years, but never really thought I would be able to join him. One day he asked if I was interested in going. I said yes, and did all I could to make it happen. I’ve now been 3 times, walking over 350 miles in the bush, raising over $20,000 for the Makindu Children’s Center. It’s been life-changing, to say the least.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and take action for this cause? What was that final trigger?
The “aha” moment for me was the moment I stepped off the bus in Makindu walking towards the children’s center, seeing that beautiful red dust flying from the feet of a huge group of children singing, screaming and laughing, rushing us, greeting and welcoming us to the center. They grabbed us by the hand, jumped on our backs, swinging from my locks, overjoyed that we were finally able to meet. I knew a lot of the children’s stories so to finally meet them was overwhelming. To return again, 6 years later and to see how much they’d grown, flourished, made me really realize that the work we do is priceless and more than worthwhile.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
There was a little girl named Daniela at the children’s center that couldn’t run, and play with the other children due to a club foot. She was very self-conscious of her disability and carried very low self-esteem despite how amazingly smart she was. Through the support of The Makindu Children’s Program, Daniela was able to get corrective surgery that she probably wouldn’t have been able to get otherwise. After the surgery and some physical therapy, Daniela was able to join her peers, running and playing like it’s her job.
Are there three things that individuals, society or the government can do to support you in this effort?
I believe that there is no shortage of resources on this earth that could provide necessities for all. The hungry should be fed, the naked clothed, the sick nourished, the aged protected, and the infants should be cared for. We as a society spend so much time trying to exceed our own needs, rarely taking a moment to look around and realize that we have more than enough. More than our brother and sister, yet we want more. It all starts with individuals. We can shape the society that we want and ultimately the government should work for us. We must demand it though. Recognize your power as an individual.
Fantastic. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or an example for each.
1.Know your worth. We sometimes humble ourselves to a point of detriment. Know that your talent has great value and that once you decide to make it your business, you should be fairly compensated for it. “Buyers” don’t always see the price you paid for your tools, the time you spend practicing your craft, the nights you don’t sleep because you’re up writing, the rentals, the cost of your rehearsal space/office. They see you jump off the bus, laughing with your friends(bandmates), singing and dancing. You’ve compromised a lot to get to this point.
2.Bring a rain jacket. We once did a 3-day festival in the mountains of West Virginia. I didn’t bring a rain jacket. It rained for 3 days straight!
3. All that smile and laugh with you aren’t your friends. Artists seem to attract people that often don’t have their best interests in mind. They usually show up smiling and even bearing “gifts.”
4. If you know about something good, share it every chance you get. There is enough bad news being shared and spread. You never know the impact you may have just by sharing something good with someone. Planting good seeds will make good fruits grow.
5. Talk to strangers. You learn just how small the world is when you talk to strangers. We need one another, and sometimes we don’t know what we can offer or what can be offered to us without speaking to someone that you don’t know. I spoke to a man in the parking lot at an airport in DC. We boarded the plane on the way to the Netherlands. We landed and started the process of getting out of the airport as quickly as possible. While I was collecting our luggage in Amsterdam, my wife started a conversation with a random woman. My wife introduces me to her new friend, moments later her husband shows up and it’s the guy that I spoke to in the parking lot. They were instantly like old friends. While in Amsterdam we met with them several times, we still keep in touch.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I have a vision of building small energy-efficient communities based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in cities all over the United States. Tiny but very comfortable housing built covering a few city blocks. This housing would be for individuals and small families needing a place as a transition point to finding employment and getting their own. Available to the people of the community would not only include free shelter, food, and water but there would be a team of mental health professionals, job and life coaches, support for substance abuse, etc. The housing would be somewhat temporary, but while living there, residents would get concentrated support on how to transition to a better more independent, healthy life.
We are blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Politics, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
Saul Williams is a poet/artist/creator that is seemingly uncompromising when it comes to his art. I met him once in New York and realized that I actually could be star-struck. I spoke to him out of support from a friend and was glad I did. He was so down to earth that after a few minutes of conversation I forgot I was talking to one of my favorite artists. He is a black unicorn in the world of music business. I’d love to break bread with Saul Williams.
Thank you so much for these amazing insights. This was so inspiring, and we wish you continued success!
Music Stars Making A Social Impact: Why & How Mighty Joshua Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.