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Mario’s Turning Point
Once again,
BMG/Sony
provided me an opportunity to interview
Mario
– this
time in person! Mario's Turning Point has been on the top of the Billboard charts now for
10 weeks so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I mean, here is an 18-year young
man that has succeeded in his career beyond most artists’ dreams. Maybe
this fame and all the accolades that go with it had gone to his head. Boy,
was I in for a surprise. What I walked away with was the impression that
this young man could easily become part of anyone’s circle of friends. This
is our interview, amongst the sneezing and sniffling as our Mario was under
the weather that day. Yet he still went on after our interview to do a live
performance at MuchMusic and perform two other shows that same night.
LE:
Welcome back to Toronto. Since the last time we talked back in
November, things have really taken off for you – with being at the top of
the Billboard charts for 10 weeks straight. Fantastic accomplishment –
congratulations. I know everyone says
‘at such a young age’ but really it’s an amazing accomplishment for any
artist. Any artist would kill be on the Billboard charts for one week,
never mind 10!
Mario: But to be a young artist, it shows that you can do
anything you can put
your mind to. It’s not about age, it’s about quality, it’s about how hungry
you are. For me, what a lot of people say is, what if you weren’t this successful
or
what if you didn’t live up to your last song? You know what? I really do
it for the love of it at the end of the day. It's what I love to do.
LE: In January 2005, you signed a new management deal with
Matthew Knowles of Urban
Sanctuary. How did that come to pass?
Mario: Well, we had been talking for a minute about doing some
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together. I met him a long time ago when I was a little younger.
Basically, management is a tool for you, as an artist, to help you get to
where you want to go. Sanctuary is known all over the world, not just
in
America. It’s something that I want to conquer, not just being an R&B
artist but an all around artist, making music for all types of generations,
all types of cultures and ethnic backgrounds. So, with Sanctuary,
they’re a great team. And we’re definitely going to make it
happen.
LE: Sanctuary is known for being global and that, in Canada, is
what we’re
about too. Our nation is full of other cultures.
Mario: I’ve seen that just by
coming here. I first came to Montreal two years ago and I was like
‘wow, these kids speak French.’ That’s crazy to me. I don’t know
one word of French.
LE: Well, it’s definitely not just about making in America
anymore.
It’s about Europe, New Zealand, Australia. It certainly looks like you’re
on your way.
Mario: I’m very excited man. I’m very excited about the future
because touring on my last album I was basically running around all these
different places. But I think I was afraid to let loose and be free.
LE: Were you being instructed a lot on how to ‘be’? Like ‘I’d
better not mess up’?
Mario: Yeah. Exactly.
But now, I’m like look, I know who I am. I know what I want people to
know about myself and I’m still learning about myself so even if I do make a
mistake, who the hell doesn’t make mistakes? It makes me feel free.
So, when I go to these places now, I want to learn. I want to be a
part of it. I want people to feel like I’m a part of them. Not
just as an artist but that has a lot to do with having that status.
LE: What’s the biggest adjustment you’ve had to make since
Turning Point was released and skyrocketed in the charts?
Mario: I just want to make sure
that I don’t lose who I am. I try to stay focussed_small.jpg)
on the whole goal. My goal is to never lose my love for music and get
focussed on the famous part, or the money or all the crazy stuff but really
keep my love for it because that’s what brought me to where I am right now.
That’s important to me. Other than that, I’m enjoying it!
LE: What are your thoughts with the current trends of the
industry? Do you feel as an artist that you get enough time spent on your
talent or do you think it’s more about the next hit or the balance sheets?
Mario: My experience so far has been like a real journey.
As I see the industry like that, I think ‘why does it have to be that way’
but then you
realize that it is a business and this is the way it is. So, as an
artist, I put my all into it when I have a chance to. Once you find
yourself as an artist, and you establish yourself, and you keep going and
keep the music out there, and you keep your sanity with your fans, you can’t
lose. It’s just something that I think you can’t lose, if you’re a
true artist.
LE: There’s a lot of packaged artists out there and that’s where
you know
it’s about business instead of the art. I guess it depends on what
you want out of it.
Mario: It depends on if you have the energy and the time and the
motivation and the drive for it. Then it doesn’t become about love
anymore, it becomes a job.
LE: What do you think about the current wave of R&B artists?
Mario: I noticed that there’s a lot of creativity and a lot of
different emotions that are shown in the songs. More so now, I think we’re
getting back to the way that R&B used to be.
LE: I
think the fans have had it with the music that doesn’t mean anything.
In the end, it’s the fans who drive the art.
Mario: That’s for me man! That’s important. With
this album, all the songs I
do, I want to make sure that it’s a song that means something so that in the
end, years from now, it can still be played. Even though
it’s not as big as it was, Let Me Love You, you’ll be able to play that 100
years from now, if God willing, planet earth is still here. It’s going
to still mean the same thing. You can let me love you. On
Valentines Day, on Christmas. It’s such a simple song but it means so
much.
LE: I
noticed a couple of tracks that you can really feel the emotion behind
the songs. Is it harder to perform those that are very close to your
experiences?
Mario: All the songs that I have on my album are songs that I can
relate to or songs that I’ve experienced that are relevant to my life. When
I’m on stage, I simply go back to that emotion. I try to every time. But
when I can’t do it that way, I try to just communicate with the crowd. Kind
of like telling them a story. They’re there to listen and I communicate
with my audience. Look, I’m here to do this for you all, this is how I
feel. How do you feel? Instead of just going out there and doing the
songs.
LE: What’s been one of your favourite places to perform or
visit?
Mario: One of my favourite places to visit. Hmm. Well, I’m going to
Japan next week. And I’ve never been to Tokyo before and I’m very excited
about that. One, the art up there, the whole culture is amazing to me, just
from seeing it on TV and pictures. I’m a very artistic person and I love
history and things. I love storylines behind the simple. Like that photo
on the wall right there. That’s genius to me.
LE: What’s going on with your acting career? Are you still
trying to pursue that or are you focussing on your music?
Mario: I just had a meeting with
Cedric the Entertainer. He’s
producing a movie. The movie is about a young man who wants to dance. And
this is his first love. It kind of takes me out
of who I am, being Mario. It still shows the musician side, you know. His
father wants him to be a preacher. He’s like, 'No'. The storyline is a young
man growing into his manhood and making his own decisions. Of course it has
a lot of different storylines. Life, growing up in the urban world. I
think it’s going to be a hot movie. I have to finish reading the script
though. I haven’t finished reading it.
LE: OK, so I dropped a couple of Canadian artists names on you
last time. I think that you knew Glenn Lewis and
k-os. I had told you to
check out Keshia Chante – did you get a chance to?
Mario: Yes, I have checked out Keshia Chante.
LE: What would you say if she said she might interested in
doing a duet with you? What would you say to that?
Mario: Oh yeah? We could work something out. Absolutely. One of my
dancers used to dance with her, he’s from Toronto. Marky D. He was in my
first video. One of my choreographers too.
Luther Brown. And Little X
shot the video for Let Me Love You. Very good people.
LE: What are your goals, now that all this has happened. What
do you want for you?
Mario: I definitely want to have my own tour sometime soon. I’m
actually performing on the tour with Destiny’s Child
overseas and a
couple of tours in the States. I think that starts in April. And like I
said, I want to do the movie thing. I have to get into movies. That’s my
next step. I can’t wait for this new video to come out for
How Could You.
It’s incredible. Benny Boom shot the video
- incredible video. It’s a
very strong song. I want to have my own artists in the future and develop
them. That would have to be far in the future but that’s one of my goals.
I always
want to be known first of all as a humble person,
God-fearing. Next, a real true artist. You know how they still talk about
Sam (Cooke), Marvin (Gaye), Stevie Wonder, Al Green, Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole. That’s how I want to be remembered.
LE: I think you’re well on your way. Do you have a message for
your fans in Toronto?
Mario: First of all, I want to say I love Toronto. I think the women
here are absolutely gorgeous and they’re very confident and they know what
they want. I’m a single man. I’m
just looking for someone to let me
love them.
My oh my
ladies. This one’s a charmer which is definitely part of his appeal
but he seems to be completely accepted by the guys too – a difficult task.
But Mario’s warm personality and gracious spirit carries him through and
leaves a lasting impression. I predict that in the years to come we
will still be singing the songs from his album,
Turning Point.
Special thanks to Sean Cordner of BMG/Sony for this opportunity.
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::ENTERTAINMENT NEWS WITH A CANADIAN TWIST::
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