An Interview with Singer Joshua Desir
By Krista Martinelli
AW: How did you get involved in singing? Song writing?
JD: My first singing opportunity was at 4 years old at a Memorial Day Service (where I sang the National Anthem) at Trinity Christian Academy. I also grew up singing at church. I sang with the Young Singers of the Palm Beaches from 3rd grade to 9th grade. I was in an opera called Tosca at 11 years old at the Kravis Center. I sang because of TV as well, singing along with theme songs from old cartoons. When I was about 9 years old and YouTube was still new, my cousin showed me the music video for “Beat It,” and I was introduced to the singing and dancing of Michael Jackson.
When I was 15, I was in a music convention in Orlando. They brought home the point, “If you can sing great, if you can write your own songs, even better.” I decided to write from my heart and see what happens. I had taken piano lessons for six years, which helped me a great deal with songwriting. I was inspired to write by my music mentors.
AW: How old are you? Where do you go to school? Where do you live? What do you want to do next, school-wise or career-wise?
JD: I’m 20 and am a biology major at FAU. I live in Boynton Beach. I just want to be the best that I can be. I want to have a prolific music career. CJ Ali (my music producer) and I will produce “Sincerely Yours,” a new album we will be working on. Additionally I work with my father, who has an electrical company.
AW: How many songs do you have so far? Tell us about your new upcoming album.
I have written 12 songs so far. There’s a concept behind my upcoming album “Sincerely Yours.” It’s a love story within itself. It’s from the point of view of a younger me thinking he has found the love of his life, but things change, and things are not as they seem. “Searching” is a song about how the good times have suddenly changed. “Sincerely Yours” is a toxic love rollercoaster.
AW: Which artists/singers inspire you?
Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars, Stevie Wonder, Luther VanDross, Chris Brown, Prince, Kanye West. These artists inspire me business-wise and music-wise. Prince inspired me to get better at my instruments and pick up more instruments.
AW: Who made the music videos with you?
JD: In the collection called Prodigy, the videos for “Best Life” and “Searching” were made by Wavy Clips.
Adept Productions recently made the video “Good Time.”
To get the right concept, including the actors and location, it takes more than a month to plan out a good music video.
AW: Do you believe there’s a message behind your music? If so, what kind of message do you want to convey?
JD: Most definitely, the message is love and positivity. Even if it’s a sad song, there’s still a message of hope. I get inspired from God, and God is Love. His Love goes through my music, and I can share it with everybody.
AW: Do you play at local venues? Which ones?
JD: Most frequently, I play at The Chill Room (Wednesday nights at 9pm), which is at about Lake Worth Road and the Turnpike. Sometimes I play at Hullabaloo or Subculture Coffee in West Palm Beach. And sometimes my band plays at FAU.
AW: Tell us about your family. Are they supportive of your singing?
JD: They are very supportive. My parents are immigrants from Haiti. My father is an electrician, and my mother is a nurse. My younger brother is 14, Jaden. He is a straight A student, just ranked in the top 5 in the state of Florida in basketball for “most charges.” He plays football as well. We visited Haiti when I was 16. There are so many beautiful parts of the island, parts that you don’t see on the news.
AW: Tell us about your most recent song/video “Good Time.” How did the idea for that song come to you?
JD: My producer CJ and I were hanging out in my room – during COVID. I was realizing that having fun with my friends was something I had taken it for granted. He dropped a great beat. I was thinking about so many people losing lives, losing jobs, being stressed out. Life isn’t just about how much money in your bank account. It’s so important to take care of your mental health. When you’re home alone, you must ask, “am I happy with who I am?” The song is about just having a good time. We’re not here for a long time, but we’re here for a good time. There’s a lyric in it, “Smile more and eat better.” If you have a beef with someone, call them up and make amends. If you do this, a burden is lifted off your shoulders faster than you’ve even imagined.
AW: Tell us about your collection of songs called “Prodigy.” Why did you title it Prodigy?
JD: Prodigy is really a mix tape. I wanted to do a project in high school, reflecting about the past and what’s to come. There are no regrets for me, just lessons. I named it Prodigy because of all the musical mentors I’ve had in my life. I’m the product of the Young Singers of the Palm Beaches, the American Heritage School fine arts program, and growing up singing in the church.
AW: You wrote a song dedicated to George Floyd?
JD: Yes, it’s called, “I can’t breathe.” That song came from straight emotion – words can’t express that event. It was my way of relieving myself of the traumas I’ve seen, including the George Floyd murder. I have to ask myself, “What if that was me? What if that was one of my family members?”
AW: Tell us about your upcoming year.
JD: Next year’s going to be a big year for me, 2022. I’m growing on Tik Tok, almost 20K followers. Next year will be a promising year for me and my band in music.
My producer CJ Ali is also the drummer in my band “J Desir and the Formula.” The bass player is “Jordan the Musician.” The guitar player is Rodley Joachin. I’m planning on doing a lot of collaborations.
Follow J-Desir on YouTube
Jdesirmusic on Instagram
@jdesir on TikTok
