Jon Muq

Biography

Jon’s music carries listeners on an artful journey through his remarkable life, which began in a small suburban slum in Kampala, Uganda. He first felt the gravitational pull of the creative life as a small boy. Sitting in his leaky-roofted two-room house in Mutungo with no running water or electricity, he began to dream up stories and songs as he listened to conversations between his parents and sisters late at night, staring at the simple beauty of the moonlight through cracks in the roof. When he started school, he found himself getting in trouble often for returning home late in the evening because he stayed behind to listen to the school band play. He fell in love with the co-mingling of trumpets, drums and trombones. When he was invited by the bandmaster to join, he almost immediately picked up trumpet by ear and quickly became one of the group’s best players without learning to read music.

Though Jon transferred to a boarding school without a band at age 11, he felt inspired by the sweet, mysterious sounds of the church choir and their drum accompanists practicing in a neighboring building each night. After sneaking into one of their rehearsals, he was invited to play an African shaker on some of their songs for a competition, an experience that ignited his passion for voice and eventually led him to join the choir as a singer. He began to discover new music from around the world, and he felt especially moved by pop songs like “We Are The World” because of the way they combined many different voices.

At the same time, Jon moved schools again to finish high school in another town and began to live on his own, picking up odd jobs to support himself and also pay for college, eventually moving in with his uncle and twin sister. As he walked alone on the streets between school and work, he would sing to himself, fine-tuning his sound and making up his own songs. One evening he passed someone playing a guitar, which he had never heard, and he felt instantly drawn to it. He borrowed a guitar and began to teach himself into the night. When he did not have a guitar, Jon made makeshift instruments out of rubber bands and pencils so he could continue to evolve his playing, singing, songwriting and live performance technique.

During these late nights of self-study, Jon committed to becoming a professional musician, and he eventually auditioned for a job singing for guests in an upscale hotel, earning a regular four-hour slot. Without a microphone or an amplifier, he sang at the same hotel two nights per week for a year during dinner service. He moved out on his own for the first time, practicing music in his room, recording tracks in a friend’s studio and making videos of himself singing and playing, which he shared on Facebook. It was through these videos that he was discovered by Norwegian Cruise Line in the US and hired as a featured performer.

Jon left Uganda for the first time in his life in 2017 and began to sing six days per week on a cruise ship in the Bahamas, earning awards from the company for his outstanding artistry and establishing himself as a leader on board. Excited by the promise of a rejuvenated life in the US, he looked for ways to stay in the country beyond his contract to continue to build his music career. He found connections with old friends in Austin, Texas when he came to play a benefit performance for Casa Marianella, a community organization that provides shelter, food and full supportive services to homeless immigrants. Now based in Austin, Jon has found a strong creative community to nurture his powerful talent.

An all-around artist whose talent reaches beyond the world of music, Jon has a degree in Industrial Art and Design and is well versed in African design, jewelry making and mosaics, which add a visual dimension to his songs. He has also continued to devote time to charitable organizations in both Uganda and the US, working with non-profits and community programs that provide education, food, clothing and support to those in need.

Aside from guitar, Jon also plays ukulele, piano and a colorful range of African instruments. His proficiency on multiple instruments, love of experimenting with different musical textures and incomparable ear help him create one-of-a-kind songs offering contagious melodies and stunning surprises. Fascinated by life’s small but extraordinary moments and the compelling human stories that inspire his own songs, Jon is driven by his mission to bring happiness to the world and support others who are looking to find a nurturing and inclusive place to express themselves within their communities and the larger world.

Jon is currently in the studio writing and recording new music