ZOSWORLD: MANZO

I enjoyed this interview with Manzo. He wouldn't give me many details on his book. So, like he said, I will have to read it! SMILE.

SPANISH-AMIGA$$: Do you believe education is the key out of poverty?
MANZO: Yes, I Do. Education is the foundation for everything you want to do in life. It is the catalyst for anything you want to inspire, to achieve in life.

SPANISH-AMIGA$$: What education do you have?
MANZO: I earned my AS Degree in Computer Engineering in 1998 from Keiser College, Melbourne, Florida.

SPANISH-AMIGA$$: How has college made your life better?
MANZO: College taught me to pursue a career in computer build and repair. It was also when I started to take my writing and music as a career more seriously!

SPANISH-AMIGA$$: Tell me more about your position, CEO of Megabyte Records in Palm Bay, Florida.
MANZO: Megabyte Records was a company I started after doing work as an assistant tour manager for some major artists. The name came from a relative due to the fact that I built computers, and so I took it one step further and adopted the moniker as a company name. As CEO of the company, I developed the careers of several artists. I recently dissolved Megabyte Records to launch a new company, "Nu Mogul Media Group," which will be a forefront in launching new artists, film, book, and other entertainment related ventures.

SPANISH-AMIGA$$: How did you get started with your record company?
MANZO: I actually started by purchasing some equipment and began recording my teenage sons. The studio took on many changes after that, and I began to develop local talent, as well as sharpen my skills in the studio. I was mainly developing an ear for recording and engineering projects.

SPANISH-AMIGA$$: How much did it cost you to start your own record company?
MANZO: I basically started my studio with a few multitrack recorders and then graduated to computers. I spent roughly two or three thousand on equipment and another thousand on filing fees and hiring an accountant.

SPANISH-AMIGA$$: Do you have business partners, or do you own the record company as a sole proprietor?
MANZO: My wife is my business partner. I tried giving a person an opportunity to be a part of what I was doing, but they confused investing in the company with taking over and going outside the overall vision of what it takes to be in this business. In other words, they wanted the glitz and glamour without putting in the work! I do have producers and artists that I collaborate with on a regular basis.

SPANISH-AMIGA$$: I see you have groups like MYA, Jagged Edge, Jon B, etc. Are you their manager or singing coach?
MANZO: I actually was an assistant tour manager for these groups, which basically afforded me a chance to learn the back side of the business. I worked closely with these artists, providing support and logistics, as well as working with and meeting a host of other music industry professionals.

SPANISH-AMIGA$$: Tell me about your book "A Tour Manager's Confessions."
MANZO: Well, you'll have to read it! The book was actually therapy for me. And once you read it, you'll understand. It's part of my journey towards goals that I wish to accomplish and the road traveled along the way! The book is one of my great accomplishments, it feels good to add "published author" to my resume.

SPANISH-AMIGA$$: How long have you been singing?
MANZO: I started singing as early as eight or nine years old back then, after watching my older sisters practice! Let me just say back then that I wasn't encouraged to pursue it by my siblings! I think I really found my voice after I left High School and joined the military.

SPANISH-AMIGA$$: How did you get started singing?
MANZO: True story! We used to have this extension cord hanging from the wall of one of my childhood homes. The thing was round like a ball and resembled a microphone to me. Well, let me say that I tried it out and made a shocking discovery at an early age that I wanted to be famous! Even though my lips almost got fried off, I knew the entertainment field was for me!

SPANISH-AMIGA$$: What advice would you give future singers?
MANZO: I would say whatever you desire to do, under no circumstances let anybody tell you what your heart can't achieve. In other words, you can be and do whatever your heart desires! Never Give Up!

SPANISH-AMIGA$$: Have you experienced any legal problems in your singing career?
MANZO: My legal problems only came through my label in that either someone was trying to muscle in on what I built or someone didn't want to adhere to the legalities of a contract. Singing has and always will be my gift from God. I choose not to allow anyone to separate me from what the creator has endowed me with!

SPANISH-AMIGA$$: Where do you see yourself in ten years from now?
MANZO: In ten years from now, I will have wanted to discover and launch the careers of many talented people! I feel that it's my love to help people who normally wouldn't have a chance to follow their dream as I have. My greatest joy is to mold raw talent into musical masterpieces. I wish all those artists who have had great careers and who are not on top at the present moment, reach back and use their clout to change someone else's life just like someone changed theirs at some point in the career! Give Back [please]!

This was a very interesting interview. I learn new things with my interviews. Manzo and I are friends on blackplanet.com. Please see his web page at http://www.blackplanet.com/Zosworld. Until my next great interview, dream big because dreaming is still free. Spanish-Amiga$$

WORKS CITED

Coaston Jr., Lamar (Manzo). March 4, 2010. Personal communication via e-mail.