My name is Jonah Strong.
I’m 25 years old.
And I am an artist.
But what is it to be an artist? I’ve often asked myself that question, often wondered if I deserve that status. I’ve written books, I play three instruments, I’ve composed dozens of songs, I’ve had my own concerts. So yes, I believe I am an artist. But that doesn’t stop me from doubting. Artist – a trivialized term, in short.
My journey in the arts started early. My mother often says that, when I was three or four years old, I was already singing her favourite French songs by heart.
However, that’s not where my path in music began. For as long as I can remember, I have always loved singing. I have always felt strong emotions when listening to music. I have always travelled with sounds.
The first time I remember really vibrating with an instrument was when I was about 7 years old. I was looking at Christmas presents in a magazine and suddenly I saw a drum set. My heart started beating to the rhythm of the instrument. I had to play!
Unfortunately, my mother explained to me that it was complicated because of the neighbors. I had to wait until I was 14 to get my first drum set. And that’s when it all really started. Over more than five years, I spent at least an hour a day, sometimes more than four, locked in my “bunker”, playing my instrument. I had become addicted. And then, little by little, I added the guitar and the piano. And, above all, the singing.
Singing sets me free.
Since I was twelve years old, I had dreamed of being a writer. I always wanted to become famous for the words I put on a sheet of paper.
So, I wrote. Quite a bit. For years. A dozen unfinished novels. Four completed novels. Many poems. Plays. In short, a lot of things. But I have never felt so much pleasure, ambition and strength as when, during the Covid pandemic, I decided to give up everything in my life to dedicate myself to music 100%. It was from that moment on that, tired of the confinement it entailed, I decided to let go of writing.
So, I started to compose my songs, with all the experience I had accumulated musically since I was 14. Since then, I’ve been composing, writing my own texts, learning pieces from other artists. I have already recorded dozens of songs and I don’t intend to stop here! It’s a process, a constant learning. I haven’t had a resounding success yet, but for the moment it’s enough for me. I do what I love, even if it’s not easy every day.
A detail that I have not yet mentioned: I was born in Switzerland and have lived there until a year ago, when I moved to Portugal. And, a great achievement for me, I had my first concert in Porto a few weeks ago and I will perform again soon.
The growth can begin.
