29-year-old musician Jado Yoanis Jago, or to give him his stage moniker, ‘Jado Music,’ was born on Christmas eve in the Tonga locality of Malakal, Upper Nile, South Sudan. Jado, the eldest among eight children, was always passionate about music. His dreams of a singing career came true in 2015, when he released his first album. In this interview, Jado tells us about the challenges of being a young artist and how, against all odds, he remains true to his calling.

What made you decide to become an artist?

I had two main interests from the time I was very young—music and drama. Despite my ambitions, I didn’t receive much encouragement when I tried to join any of the music or drama ensembles in Malakal. There are no recording studios in Malakal till date and that’s why I moved to Juba, the capital in 2014.

It wasn’t an easy transition. I faced major financial challenges but something within me didn’t allow for failure. I persevered and the very next year I recorded an album titled, “Anyone in South Sudan wants to become a President?”

The album did well, especially among young people. I started gaining confidence and landed gigs to perform live on stage in Juba. There was no looking back from that moment. I’ve recorded 13 albums since!

Were your family supportive of your career choice and what challenges have you faced so far? How have you overcome these

 Well, my support structure are my friends and fan base. My family attends my community performances as well and they give me ideas, constructive criticism on what I can do better next time.

In 2017, I returned from the capital to Upper Nile where I belong. I wanted to join my people, perform for them and bring communities together in joy.

But in the two years I spent in Juba, many people lent me a hand, specially helping me record my songs and shoot and produce videos. As I mentioned, finances were a huge challenge. Recording an album is expensive business.

As an artist, it’s extremely disappointing when you spend a lot of money, record songs, and after two or three albums, you receive no feedback, zero traction. It’s a tough life, exacerbated by COVID-19 which completely barred many of us from public performances. Live shows are a vital source of income for singers to continue to build our body of music.

But thankfully, I have a contract with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) where I train young people in music, singing and dancing. It brings youth from different communities together, builds their skills and encourages peaceful coexistence.

What motivates you to use your talent to advocate for social justice? Can you give us an example of the positive impact/reactions you have got from people?

I have always been an advocate for change. I believe youth are influencers, changemakers and can bring about social changes that are much-needed for South Sudan to prosper. My songs are all about peace and love; they unite people from different communities and mindsets. When I started receiving very positive feedback from my listeners and my videos started playing on national channels and radio stations, it gave me the energy and hope I needed to continue the career path I’ve chosen.

One example would be a song I recorded in the Shilluk language called ‘Upper Nile.’ It was a song that harks back to my own roots and called on young people in my home state to unite in peace, joy and dancing. It’s a song that played in every household here.

Why is it important for young people to be actively involved in politics and speak up on issues that impact them directly?

Youth participation in politics should always be encouraged once they are mature enough to understand the intricacies of such involvement. But what’s even more important is that young people need to be in it for the right reasons and not to forward narrow ethnic agendas but to be true agents of positive socio-political change. Young people are the key to moving our nation towards prosperity and it is vital that our government builds their capacities through education. This is the only way South Sudan will have a brighter future.

What do you feel your country needs most at this moment in time and why?

We need peace and security because this will allow youth to express themselves freely and achieve their full potential. If we want to become farmers, we should; if we want to be fishermen, we should; and if we want to become artists, we need to be free do so. Right now, there is tremendous depression and frustration among South Sudanese youth: Unemployment is soaring, people attempt to end their lives. It’s a vicious cycle we are all trapped in and we must break out of it, gain economic independence.

 If you had a message for the youth of South Sudan, what would it be?

Being young myself, I’d like all youth to come together and use our minds to develop our beautiful country. We need to galvanize ourselves as young people to unite and bring about a permanent peace that everybody can enjoy. Let’s put our country first, let’s forgive each other and forget everything bad that happened in the past. We must no longer be divided along narrow ethnic lines but dwell in peace.