In our journey to uncover narratives that transcend the boundaries of mere artistry, we had the privilege of conversing with David Onka, an extraordinary artist. His creative path stands as a vivid affirmation that music holds deeper meaning than initially perceived. David’s unique fusion of spirituality and music beautifully aligns with our vision, which celebrates artists who not only create music but also exist to inspire and serve others.
Beyond his music, David also serves as a supervisor for resident performers at Luxury Cruise Lines and Exclusive International Hotels. Simultaneously, he crafts and produces songs for International Music Publishing companies, with his work featured on platforms like Netflix and Apple TV.
We enjoyed this interview immensely, as David shared profound truths in his own unassuming and musician-style way.
TAT: Dear David, thank you for this opportunity. The reason for this interview is the theme for our next magazine issue, which will focus on elegance and beauty. Recently, we interviewed two other artists, mainly in photography and visual arts. I thought it would be interesting to discuss with you how spirituality has shaped your artistic journey and continues to influence your message. Can you delve into that a bit more and explain what you mean by this influence and how it has shaped you as an artist?
DO: That’s a great question. For me, it’s quite simple. Spirituality shapes my music through simply reminding myself to “get out of the way.” As artists, we often think we are solely responsible for creating our art, but I’ve come to understand that our skills serve as channels for interpreting messages that already exist. I’m the writer of the songs, yet I’m not the writer – these are pre-existing messages that I channel. Being aware of that is how I allow spirituality to shape my message.
TAT: So, in a sense, it’s about being a divine instrument, right?
DO: Yes, exactly. It’s about being a divine instrument and acknowledging that I’m merely a vessel or a messenger. When you let go of the labels and ego, you realize your true purpose is to be a channel for these messages.
TAT: It’s about serving and not just inspiring, Right?
DO: Absolutely. It’s about serving a higher purpose. That’s what I’m clear about – my calling is to serve with music. It comes naturally and becomes super easy when you understand that.
TAT: I love the idea that spirituality influences your music when ownership fades away. Does it also bring a sense of gratitude when a song comes through you, given that you’ve surrendered ownership of the process?
DO: Indeed, when I let go of ownership, there’s a profound sense of gratitude. If a song flows through me, I only take credit for being smart enough to surrender.
TAT: That’s great.
DO: Yeah, that’s the only thing I want to take credit for. Many artists get lost thinking they’re the driving force behind their work, but it’s a deception. I’ve learned to acknowledge that i’m just the messenger.
TAT: Can you provide some background on your life journey and the factors that set you on this path as an artist? Often, struggles and hardships contribute to creativity and expression.
DO: In my case, there were no hardships in that sense. I was born into a musical family, with my dad being a highly talented music producer, songwriter, and spiritual person. My mom was very spiritual too – so growing up in such a musical/spiritual environment became a natural part of my life. However, I also had a phase where I chased fame due to my father’s success.
But as I matured, I realized that it wasn’t what I truly wanted. There were two pivotal moments in my life that shed light on my path. One was my frustration with music executives who undervalued honest, pure music, and the other was overcoming emotional abuse.
The emotional abuse part might sound surprising because, at first glance, I’m a six feet tall guy with a strong character. You’d never imagine me as a victim. However, throughout our lives, especially as men, we often find ourselves chasing the societal definition of what it means to be a ‘good family man.’ We’re taught not to show vulnerability, to ‘swallow’ our emotions, in regards to the ‘Boys don’t cry’ paradigm.
I went through that long phase of emotional abuse, because every time my strong character yearned to speak up against what didn’t resonate with me, my words and reactions were twisted and used against me instead. It felt like the world around me was saying, ‘Take the tests and keep quiet.’
Breaking free from that situation was a long and challenging journey.
I couldn’t write songs for many years after that but when I finally did, I knew I had to write the kind of songs that would minister to hearts, especially people going through something inside. That is why this feeling is reflected on my Spotify Bio.
In summary, I could say that these experiences partially helped to shape the artistic mission I was already aware of.
These experiences helped shape my mission as an artist, as my bio now reflects my desire to give a voice to those who don’t have one.
TAT: We checked out your page and your music on YouTube and Spotify. Your song “Waves” really resonated with us. There’s a line in it that stood out: “Dissolving attachment is all I need.”
DO: Yes, “Waves” touches on our attachments to paradigms and societal norms. When you listen to the lines of the song, one of them goes like this: ‘Hush hush, boys don’t cry. Welcome to the class of how to rule the world, where emotions lay like caskets in the morgue.’
This represents a significant attachment, one that most men can relate to. We’ve all heard it—the idea that we should suppress our emotions, even to the point of eliminating them. We were told that to ‘rule the world,’ you couldn’t cry. It’s as if your emotions had to be locked away in a coffin, like a morgue.
As we grow up, we realize that this upbringing led to a lack of emotional intelligence. The idea of having to stiffen our emotions in order to be men is like sealing away your feelings in a casket laying in a morgue.
The second part of the song continues: ‘Shush, girl, you don’t go wild. You are not enough to rule the world.’
This verse embodies a different attachment. Girls are often conditioned to conform to a paradigm of meekness. They feel they have to be weak, unable to tap into their full power, unable to be wild. It’s as if they’re not enough to make an impact, and they naturally identify with meekness.
These societal norms become profound attachments. So, dissolving from these and many other attachments in life is the reason for that song ‘Waves’. The message is all about the courage to break free from the influence of limiting beliefs and find our true path.
TAT: It’s a powerful message.
DO: Yes. “It’s in my body. It’s in my soul.
It’s in the air. And every scar I’m running from.”
TAT: Thank you. It’s really interesting to see how you are managing to balance working in the cruise line industry while also creating such beautiful and spiritually infused music. Can you explain how these two aspects intersect and possibly inspire each other?
DO: They work hand in hand, and we all have the capability to navigate our existence here without compromising our beliefs. We’re not humans trying to have a spiritual experience; rather, we’re spirits trying to have a human experience. Since we’re here, we have to deal with the human experience, but it doesn’t mean we have to compromise or abuse it. We need to draw a clear line. For example, I work in the luxury business, which provides the financial background to support my spiritual calling. If I want to travel to minister to people, I need the financial means to buy a flight ticket. My spirituality also helps me stay grounded in dealing with the financial aspects, so they complement each other.
We always have to find ways to navigate through our existence here which is why, In one of my songs, “Ascending,” the lines are: “Navigate every unraveling of the external Hell’s Gate. You know, I know you know me by name, but I won’t get caught up in this madness. I am fatal but I choose to be ascending.”
We have to acknowledge the human aspects while understanding how they complement each other without compromising or abusing either side.
TAT: That’s a great perspective. It speaks to valuing your existence and setting clear boundaries.
DO: Boundaries are crucial. Because societal pressures can be overwhelming, especially for women. Men often have more freedom to create boundaries, but women sometimes face criticism for doing so. Everyone should be brave about inserting their boundaries when and where necessary.
TAT: How about collaboration? What’s your approach to working with others?
DO: Collaboration requires being selective. Being very picky. Of course, people may wrongly judge you as proud or egotistic, but it’s essential to be selective. If you understand what you represent and what the other person represents, it’s not worth trying to impress anyone. I stand by this perspective, even if it might seem harsh.
TAT: You also need to connect with people on a personal level, right? Analysis alone might not be enough to determine the potential of a relationship. Feeling the person and their energy is crucial.
DO: Absolutely. If you’re deeply connected to yourself, it becomes natural to feel the energy of others. We are all moving energies; our physical bodies are just vehicles for unseen energies. When you’re in tune with yourself, you can sense the energies in a room without needing to know the person. Physical analysis and following conventional guidelines don’t have the same impact as feeling and connecting with energy. We are all frequencies, like tuning a radio station.
Imagine the old-school radio stations we used to have. When you wanted to listen to a specific station, let’s say 88.1 AFM, you’d turn the dial, tuning in until the signal became clear. If you moved away from that spot, you’d lose the station, and if you tuned across it, you’d end up with a mix of different stations.
Now, think of people as frequencies. You’re a frequency, and I’m a frequency. When I’m in touch with myself, when I truly understand and embrace my own frequency, I can ‘tune in’ to you without you having to explicitly tell me who you are. Tuning into people just as the radio frequencies and hearing them clearly without needing a label or introduction does a better job than physical analysis for connection.
TAT: We’ve enjoyed this conversation immensely and could listen to you for hours. May your work and wisdom inspire many artists.
DO: Amen.
TAT: This has been a truly beautiful experience. Thank you so much. Any final words or messages?
DO: Stay tuned to your inner self.
TAT: Beautiful, thank you.
