Interview by Juba Pulse Magazine & Website
1. Tell us about yourself?
My name is Mc Lomex. I was born in the Equatorial region, in a small village called Bojora located in Bereka. At home, they call me Isaac Lumori, but when I am on stage, call me Mc Lomex. I am based in Juba currently.
2. How did you get into music?
Music is my passion. And it is in my family too. My aunt said to me once, that my grandfather had the passion for music too.
3. How do you feel about your first professional song?
It is unbelievable that it turned out to be a song that people love. It is amazing, when my friends and family tune in to the radio and hear it being played, they call me and tell me that they are listening to the song; and it really feels good.
4. How was this song received by your fans? How did they like it?
The response was surprisingly massive. I did a consoling music after the 2013 war that broke out. I just wanted to create something for the moment, something that would speak to the fans and public about the situation in the aftermath of the war.
5. For the last couple of years, you have done music professionally. What can you tell us about your journey in music since that time to today…
It was tough in the beginning when I was not yet popular, but now, things are good. I enjoy the profession every day. I have met and interacted with all kinds and levels of people; both the high profile people and ordinary people. My network in and out of South Sudan has widened massively because of music.
6. From your activity on social media, it appears like you have lately been working on some new music; can you tell us about these…
I have two tracks in the market at the moment. One is a collabo called Timelo that I have done with Makeng G, the name is derived from a bitter leaf called dikertimelo. It is one of the items in our community that is untouchable. The other song is Hagana, which I have done alone, and it talks about nationhood and patriotism…to us Junub de hagana. Instilling a sense of ownership among the Junubin communities.
7. Who is your producer? And what plans do you have with this producer for your future?
The producer I started with is Pro Edgar. However, because I needed diversity, I do not record with one producer. I have many other songs done by other producers within and outside the country. I have worked with Linux, Jehu, Kamba, Washington in Ugandan and Producer Brian in Uganda too.
8. What are you most worried about, when it comes to music in the country?
Constructing or building up a fan base in the country is a bit slow because there is little exposure to our local content. Few TV stations play our music videos. It will take us a long time to catch up with music from other neighbouring nations but I am sure our music will pick.
9. One of the important aspects of the music business is the music videos produced by each artist for his song. What is it like, making music videos in South Sudan
Our video producers are good at their work, but they lack high quality, high pixel cameras. Of course our production fee is low compared to other countries, but I guess this is because other counties use more sophisticated equipment.
10. Most artists from South Sudan say there is difficulty in getting TV or radio airplay. Have you encountered this problem? And how did you work through it?
I have not encountered any difficulties of this nature. But I do hear of such cases and I get worried for my fellow artists who have been harassed in one way or the other in this regard. I have to say that my case could be different because I tend to address societal current affairs in my music, something that the presenters play because it serves their interest too.
11. You are based in South Sudan, other artists are based in Kampala and Nairobi and USA or Australia. Do you think your art/music represents the people at home more than these artists who are based abroad?
Where you are based does not matter except the relevance of your music. For example, I am in Juba yet I am sure there fans who are dying to come to my shows and watch perform but they are in some other country. You can be a hit from any part of the world; I believe that you just have to make your massage relevant to your audience. It does not matter where you are and it certainly doesn’t make your message less representative of the people just because you are physically not based in the same city as them.
12. Let’s talk money… how profitable is the music business in South Sudan right now? For example, how much do you charge for a one night event?
Not so good. At the moment, our fans cannot pay more than 1000 ssp (4$). This is the highest fee most artists would charge. It is hard to hold one event and make money after taking out the expenses. So, most artists tend to do about 3 shows in different clubs so that they can remain with something.
13. What do you hope to achieve with your music career?
Three things: One is peace amongst the South Sudan communities. Most of my songs talk about unity. Two, I want to leave a legacy for the future generation to emulate. Three, I would like to create and build a platform, a music school, where we can train future artists while at the same time the project will act as an income generating activity for me and my immediate beneficiaries (family).