The Pursuer of Ideas – A Conversation with Jon.
Article by Tasha Schembri for ZigZag Magazine.
Open up a Maltese Tv channel, he’s there.
Scroll on social media, there.
A local film you’ve watched recently? He might’ve even written or produced it.
Maltese rap? He’s done it too.
Voluntary projects? Come on, wasn’t this obvious?
Multiple personas – yet all blending so seamlessly into the same creative, Mr Jon Mallia.
The question, ‘Who is Jon Mallia?’, therefore, renders itself a rather tedious one, and labels become quite ill fitting.
For what is a label? And what aspect, element or facet of one’s character, career or existence would be chosen to create this same label?
Jon the Rapper
As a “pursuer of ideas” with a gift in writing and lyricism from a young age, Jon immersed himself into an industry which was widely untouched on the Maltese islands – music and rap.
The talent was evident, the hunger for Maltese rap palpable.
And so, Jon’s music career began, having immersed himself into Sixth Simfoni, and later, No Bling Show.
Tours, both local and international, placed a great deal of importance onto the young musicians during their glory days in Sixth Simfoni. While their careers were about to take off, the band’s management proved weaker than its members’ talent, rendering Sixth Simfoni a project that merely could have been great.
Having reflected on the advent of the band, Jon’s regrets lie in not directing the group when it clearly needed him, with past band members having admitted they considered him to be the group’s leader, they later told Jon.
No Bling show was just around the corner, though. Innovative music videos, an eye for directing, and writing some of the very first Maltese rap, Jon excelled with this project, telling a story of an entire generation of lost youth, as he put it.
And while music and rap became relatively defining factors of Jon’s public persona, they were not viable long-term career options for Jon, though he still runs on the treadmill and raps in his head, from time to time.
They did, however, place him in very unique situations, drawing in some rather interesting projects. Breaking Limits, a non-profit initiative aimed at teaching disabled children how to breakdance, and Hiphop is Yours, a project aimed at teaching inmates how to channel their emotions through rap, became ones that Jon held very close to his heart.
Jon the Writer
There’s no way I can describe Jon’s journey without his love for writing. In the early days, Jon would write raps for friends. Later, he took this on screen, with projects like Never After, the Jenny Wilder Tapes (which is in the works) and Kaxxaturi – having earned a widespread portfolio in the local media scene, which later helped push him into the hosting realm.
Jon the Director & Producer
Jon also dabbled in directing and producing – with his creative direction in No Bling Show’s music videos, amongst other projects, and his producing in Limestone Cowboy – ventures which brought along their own challenges, life lessons, and ‘mindset shifts’.
While colleagues were concerned about more trivial issues, Jon’s ability to work under pressure (no doubt when placed in the belly of the beast that is film production) scaled way higher than it had on other projects. With a solid work ethic and an inability to take a day off, Jon’s schedule was (and still is to a certain extent) full, the difference being that larger responsibilities had to be prioritised later on in life – like raising children, paying off loans and working with employees.
Jon’s advice in this regard was simple – “do it now”.
Want to learn how to play the piano? Do it now.
Want to learn how to dive? Do it now.
Want to become a boxer? Now.
Jon the Host
In following his own advice, Jon took on a project many at the time were also trying out – the blessed podcast.
And while Jon may have never felt confident in the formal education he received, he grabbed the opportunity and used the podcast as a means of lifelong learning.
Guest after guest, week after week, Jon invited some of the most knowledgeable figures within their respective fields, and asked the questions we’d all want to know. Regardless of how frustrating his prior educational experience was, Jon absorbed the knowledge of his interviewees like a sponge, continuing to grow throughout the process.
Tests, homework and exams may have been dreaded, the same cannot be said for Jon’s research in his professional career – a skill he displays exceptionally well when hosting Il-Każin, his latest hosting project.
“Debating is the purest form of avoiding violence”, Jon stated.
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This is what motivated him to begin the televised programme. If people talk, they can share their opinions. If they share their opinions, they can disagree. If they disagree, there is common ground for bettering a situation, and an attempt at solving the issue.
Jon the Husband, Father & Giver to the next generation
The funny thing about labelling people is that we sometimes forget that they are, well, people – with day-to-day lives, and families, and problems, and life scenarios we know nothing about, most of the time.
And in our discussion, Jon not only walked me through his ‘zigzag’ career, but how he manages to do all this while also being a husband and a father. What I later found out was that he not only fits these elements into his schedule impressively well, but also tries to give back to the next generation – of students, creatives, artists – and anyone young with a dream.
He sees potential, and he feels obliged to help out.
Jon Mallia – a man of many talents, career changes, stories, and reasons to give back.
