Jonathan Albert Zuzarte is an Indian musician, who runs one of Goa’s top bands called Music Fever Goa. Hailing from the beautiful village of Guirim, ‘Jona’ embarked on his musical journey at the age of 22.
The team of ItsGoa caught up with him and put him under the spotlight.
Humans of Goa is our original and official series that shares inspirational stories from the lives of Goans. Humans of Goa is made for and made up of Goans.
Let’s get started.
If anyone were to ask you, “What do you do for a living, then what would you say?”
I’m a full time musician apart from being a part of the family business.
What was that one moment when you decided that, “That’s it! I want to become a top Indian musician”
The thrill that I always got from watching local bands play as a child.
Why embrace singing? Why not something else?
I doubt there is a job that will give me such level of satisfaction at the end of the day. Singing allows me to express my self, probably in a way that I wont ever be able to otherwise.
A bit about your role models. People you look up to. Any western or Indian musicians…
Being a retro lover, I’ve always looked upto bands from the 80’ & 90’.
Chris Rea, Def Leppard, Mark Knopfler, Eagles, Elton John, Lionel Richie, MJ, Kool & The Gang etc. They created music that has such depth, the lyrics made sense (lol), the harmony & arrangements always stood out.
Being a retro lover, I’ve always looked upto bands from the 80’ & 90’.
Chris Rea, Def Leppard, Mark Knopfler, Eagles, Elton John, Lionel Richie, MJ, Kool & The Gang etc. They created music that has such depth, the lyrics made sense (lol), the harmony & arrangements always stood out.
Apart from these acts, cover bands like Martin Miller & HSCC are beyond super. A few Goan bands are also remarkable that have inspired me to push my self a little more.
Any inspirational moment you remember in your life that changed everything…
An 8 year old me attending his first music class.
What was the biggest challenge when pursuing this as a fulltime career? And how did you overcome it?
Starting off at the age of 22, while still pursuing my MBA was a big big effort. The initial investment, the risk factors that came along. At that point people didn’t know who we were and what our music was like. But, if you work hard anything is possible. Literally!!
Any memories as a kid you’d like to share? Maybe when you heard a song for the first time and the voice took you on a journey; or something from pop culture that influenced you?
As a kid I grew up around a large collection of cassettes, a range of artist. Journey, Whitesnake etc. I used to play the music loud and use my cricket bat as a guitar, imagining my self on stage with those legends.
Name your favorite singer/artist or anyone in your industry that you want to emulate. Any Indian musician fan boy moment?
Cassuis Fernandes (Balck Goa) was a mentor to me. I owe him a lot, right from guiding me with the kind of gear that I should buy and even giving us a head start with gigs. He’s been a great support.
Cassuis Fernandes (Black Goa) was a mentor to me. I owe him a lot, right from guiding me with the kind of gear that I should buy and even giving us a head start with gigs. He’s been a great support. As for a band it’s no secret that I love ‘Tidal Wave’.
Can you write a couple of lines for us here say on the topic of “Music is Life”?
If you’re a musician, then you’d always agree that music is everything. Music is something that makes people happy, it unites people, it turns a bad day into a good one, it makes you dance, it’s one of strongest ways to send a message across.
What has the discipline of music taught you? How has it shaped your growth?
Never let success go to your head. Always work hard and keep pushing your self no matter what.
What role did family and friends play? Any quick incident you recall that helped you overcome a hurdle or challenge in life with help from fam?
My family ,wife & friends are the reason I am where I am today. They’ve always been supportive right from the start, giving me the backing that I needed.
What were people’s feedback (negative and positive), and who stood by you the most?
The people that I perform with & the restaurants that I gig at. Lucky for us we haven’t had such an issue (yet). But if ever we felt the crowd didn’t respond well, these guys always stood by me.
What is the legacy you want to leave behind? And for whom?
I just want to create a brand for myself, rather I already have one. But still want to do something better and different every season. Probably the next Gen will have something to be proud of.
You can catch a snippet of this conversation on ItsGoa‘s Instagram page. Humans of Goa is our original and official series that shares stories from the lives of Goans. ‘Humans of Goa’ celebrates the spirit of every Goan.
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