EXCLUSIVE: Mc Lumoex talks musical mentorship, overcoming hurdles
A renowned South Sudanese Mc Lumoex who is referred to as peacemaker, has revealed how much he loves mentoring upcoming artists.
The artist is often known for his versatility in music and unique stage performance.
The City Review entertainment reporter, Sarah Osman caught up with Mc Lumoex whose real name is Isaac Anthony Lumori Manase and this is what he had to say.
Sarah: Briefly tell us about yourself.
Mc Lumoex: Alright, I would like to thank you for giving me time and checking out on me. I am Isaac Lumori Anthony, that is my official name and I am an artist. My stage name is Mc Lumoex. I stage both live and recorded music.
Sarah: How long have you been in the industry?
Mc Lumoex: I have been in the industry for a long time since 1997. 2014 is the year when I was massively recognized for a hit song titled ‘Rabuna hami Beledna’. It’s a song that was composed after the December 15 2013 war that erupted in juba calling on all the worrying parties to stop the war and save the lives of the people.
Sarah: As a musician who started music in 1997, I guess the journey to stardom has not been that smooth, what are some of the challenges encountered?
Mc Lumoex: Challenges are always there in every career in life and in any institution or whatever someone pursues in life. I was in school and practicing music in a school’s chapel and I was part of any musical competition at school.
I had a goal I was chasing and that was education. I didn’t put much time into music but I remember the first songs I did while at school. One was ‘touch me and I’m no longer a slave. There are a lot of challenges, when I did my first hit song “Rabuna Hami Beledna,” there was too much pressure for me to do other songs. Fans needed more other peaceful songs. I did another song titled “Salaam bi Ja”. It is an Arabic phrase that loosely means peace will come. I had other popular social songs like African Woman, Binia Pojulu that fans changed to ‘Konyokonyo Malakia’.
Sarah: Having told us your challenges, what have you learned so far?
Mc Lumoex: I have learned unity and socializing. Getting people together, working with people, knowing good people, generally the ethics of living together and creating a co-existence. I learned that all the 64 tribes in South Sudan have values that each of us needs to emulate. You might be a Dinka, Bari, Nuer, or a Mundari. All of them have values. There’s a reason God made South Sudanese diversity of 64 tribes. I have learned to co-exist and I believe musicians are from different places and they interact with different people and learn their norms and culture in a way.
Sarah: As a versatile artist who has experience in the industry, how would you give guidance or groom upcoming artists who are mushrooming in terms of talent?
Mc Lumoex: Grooming artists that are coming up, I would first identify whether they have a passion for music, is the person’s vocal ability good to push the music to another level. He or she is a music fan who wants to sing because others are singing. After finding out all that, the creation of a platform for them to be exposed is the way to go just like I created one for the arts industry that comprises of poets, dancers, spoken word artists, musicians called ‘kilkiluana Ana Comedy extra and our motto is to discover talent.
Sarah: Having invented the comedy show that unites arts together, how has it been like hosting it with the current Covid-19 challenge?
Mc Lumoex: There have been challenges that are normal and are affecting the country like the war, pandemic, curfew…. but the moment it uplifted; we resumed from where we stopped. Am so happy that kilkilu ana is a platform that also gages the social life of people living within juba e I remember there were journalists from BBC, CGTN always turned up to find out what’s happening around Juba. We are happy that we are one of the platforms that informs the public and creates life within.
Sarah: Having talked about the pandemic, how is reception like with the standard operating procedures, do people adhere?
Mc Lumoex: These are standards put by the ministry of health that also allow us to operate and must be followed. While seeking permission, we make sure that all is put in place to save lives because safety comes first. We are also working hand in hand with Nyakuron cultural center
Sarah: Many artists have given testimonies about the chances given to them to perform, how many artists have featured so far and are they paid for their performances?
Mc Lumoex: Platform is my desire for talent to be discovered. The platform is there to discover oneself, for instance musicians, comedians, dancers and many more.
Kilkilu ana is like a college where you learn skills and go out there to apply them and earn a living. They are not paid but given allowances as a token of appreciation. I am very grateful to most of the artists who have always been loyal to kilkilu ana comedy extra. Artists like Crazy Fox coming up the very first time like you can’t imagine that he would turn to the artist he is in recent times. J Yang, YMO, Irene Toss were among the artists that realized that they can move on musically. Can you believe that Neetah Baibe and Rebecca Trey’s first performance was at kilkilu ana comedy extra?
Sarah: How do you source the comedians?
Mc Lumoex: Originally, the platform was formed basically for comedy but since the arts industry is diverse, equal opportunity is given. With the comedians, we scout them through seeing their acting ability. Most of these comedians were actors before joining comedy. For instance, VIP, Wokil, Dili Dallas, feel free and many more who were trained as comedians. Wokil is the very best example. I watched him act in a movie until I got hold of him.
Sarah: as a father of comedians, who is your favorite?
Mc Lumoex: I used to have only one favorite but now, the very comedian is good. Gone are the days when I sat them down and asked what they cooked for their fans but nowadays, things have changed. I find them hilarious and engaging.
Sarah: What achievements have you gotten in the arts industry that can trigger someone to follow suit?
Mc Lumoex: Some of the achievements that I have might not be that tangible but I can say creating platforms for young boys and girls makes me happy and proud. Seeing Wokil pay his tuition until he recently graduated, VIP taking care of his family, one of the outstanding female comedians Kiden pays her school fees through comedy. This makes me happy because I am creating employment opportunities for people.
Sarah: As a family man, how do you balance your profession and family?
Mc Lumoex: I have been a multi-tasking person who does a lot of things. It is not a problem because everything has its time. While with family, I give in my 100%, while in the music arena I also give in my best the same applies to comedy.
Sarah: In 2018, you picked interest in leading the arts fraternity, if given chance, what would you put in place?
Mc Lumoex: If given the chance, I would first look at the structural organization of the union for the future generation and things to move on well and how I am going to do that, I bring it out of appointment to a democratic kind of way. The artists will know how long one runs and the time the term ends and when the next person will be elected. Once that is done, the artists will be more organized. Right now, it’s under ministerial order where they are appointed and not elected, we want to make it democratic. That’s the change I want to make if given chance. Once you are having greater lobbying power, u end up being given a ministerial decree.
Sarah: What’s your take on the disunity amongst artists?
Mc Lumoex: Ask yourself, how does this disunity come about? It’s true that if the ministerial decree is not fixed and democracy is introduced, it’s going to be hard for artists to unite. We all need a unifying factor. Artists have come together during the loss of our beloved ones, we have had football matches to co-exist, the disunity factor comes out when artists come up with stunts on social media and it is perceived differently by the fans to attract attention. They end up beefing for no beef and within no time you see them seated together.
Sarah: As a leader, what message would you love to pass over to the arts fraternity?
Mc Lumoex: As a peacemaker, a name given to me by people. During the burial of the late Mantani, I got involved in a terrible accident and was at a police station but the number of people that turned up was massive, I preach peace, everybody in the country should love one another. We should respect each other because it’s what makes who we are with our 64 diversities.
Sarah: Any new stuff for your fan’s ears?
Mc Lumoex: As Mc Lumoex, I claim this year to be mine. Last year there was too much musical jam and a lot of music. We are tactical musicians who are long-distance runners. I am working on a song titled “Mr. Longonyo” it’s a song that encourages men and women to take care of their families and stop being stingy. There’s another nice song I did with Kizzo King titled “first choice” meaning that if you have a wife, prioritise her and don’t mingle around.
