Manasseh Mashi
Nigeria
Music Producer, Sound Designer & Songwriter
Manasseh Mashi a.k.a MonLee is a Music Producer, Sound Designer and Songwriter based in Abuja, Nigeria. He makes music with his mouth (Acapella) and with random objects. His music is suited for films and adverts. He also creates multi screen video content, and offers vocal support for musicians.
He is a member and official music producer for The Isomers, Abuja based Indie Band. As a music producer, he thrives creating in most genres including Afrobeat, Hiphop, Soul, Rnb, Rock and Alternative music. He loves to experiment with sounds, and he has a catalog of diverse works, both personal and collaborative projects with other top Nigerian artists and producers.
What inspired you to enter the World NTD Day Story telling competition?
The thought that there are people who could contribute significantly to Nigeria’s growth, but cannot because they have been estranged from a normal community life, victimized by poverty and NTDs; this is why I felt inspired to lend my voice by entering the World NTD Day Story Telling Competition. Having my entry put on a platform where my audience and beyond can begin to see reasons why they also must commit to the fight against NTDs, is an important goal for me.
Why does fighting NTDs matter to you?
Fighting NTDs is important to me because my country, Nigeria bears a large share of the NTDs in Africa; these diseases prevail especially because of the extreme levels of poverty in the country. I have witnessed firsthand the effects of poverty and of these NTDs on the lives and livelihood of Nigerians, and so it hit a very personal chord for me, to be one of the voices that bring light to the importance of the fight against NTDs.
How do you intend on continuing the fight against NTDs after this competition?
I’m compelled beyond and after this competition to lend my voice both musically and in other art forms – and I don’t mind being an ambassador to this cause – to make the gravity of NTDs known especially in Nigeria, so that other people can be made aware and begin to join the fight against these diseases. If we can save one, we can save millions.
What would be your request to your country’s leaders regarding fighting NTDs?
My only request to my country’s leaders is to make concerted efforts in collaboration with the WHO and Nigerian Health Organizations to make every Nigerian aware, in addition to the many issues we are facing, that NTDs account for a high mortality rate in Nigeria and help them understand the need to actively fight them. This effort should involve making monetary allocations towards this goal and to ensure that these funds are not diverted or mismanaged.
