By Ruth Ann Ruiz
The Post Newspaper Features Editor
Leading a band for 42 years has its ups and downs, and a lot of musicians come and go, so when Art Lopez of Mambo Jazz Kings can welcome back one of those musicians who was once a memorable performer in his band, the experience gives him joy. In this case, the returning musician is Mona Joy, also known as Miss Anderson.
“She’s like family to me, and I am just so glad she was able to step in when we really needed her,” Lopez said. “We all just love her talent and devotion. She brings her soul and passion to the band. We just love her.”
Mona has been singing for the public since she was a preacher’s kid in Flint, Michigan.
“My father was a pastor,” Mona said.
She remembers without hesitation the first song she sang for the congregation back when she was just five or six years old,
“I sang ‘Blessed Quietness,’” Mona shared.
Watching her interact with the band backstage and sing on stage, I can see she is not usually a quiet person.
Mona’s full name is Shamona Joy Anderson, and with every bit of her being, she seems to live up to the name her parents gave her. Her smile radiates throughout our interview and with each note she sings. She strikes me as a woman who can appreciate the joy of living.
Though she hails from Michigan, she has been calling southeast Texas her home for nearly two decades.
She now lives in Dickinson with her husband and children and teaches at Levi Fry Intermediate School in Texas City
She first learned of a spot with the Mambo Jazz Kings through the owner at Brighter Day Day Care in Texas City back when her children were still being carried in her arms and toted around in car seats and strollers.
Her family includes two dogs, seven children, two of whom are her husband’s and five of whom are hers. Though she speaks of them all as her children, she does clarify a bit. The clarification is understandable because she just doesn’t look old enough to have a 30-year-old daughter. Most of the children are in their twenties, and a couple are teenagers.
She has three grandbabies from her “bonus daughter,” who also homes a granddog.
Mona’s life is rich with family, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. If one member of her family needs her, she is on the spot providing them with what they need.
With her children, bonus children, husband, parents, dogs and teaching career, she doesn’t have much time for herself. That’s where her performances as a vocalist comes into play and provides her with much needed time to rejuvenate.
“Self-care inspires me to get on stage and sing. I love music, and I love how singing makes me feel. It’s part of what I do for ‘me time’. Sometimes it feels therapeutic,” Mona excitedly shared. “It’s a plus that listeners seem to enjoy what they hear as well.”
Her favorite singer of all time is Whitney Houston.
“But there’s a long list of artists I admire, though she is my number one,” Mona said.
She does not have a favorite Christmas tune. She finds all Christmas tunes bring back a flood of memories of the loved ones she misses during this time of the year.
She’s come a long way from her first public performance at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church on North Saginaw Street in Flint, Michigan. In fact, she didn’t start singing secular music until she went to college.
Since coming to Texas, she’s performed with numerous regional bands. What she likes about living in Texas more than Michigan is the subtropical climate that means no more snow shoveling.
Mona will be performing with the Mambo Jazz Kings for all their upcoming shows, including one on the Galveston Mardi Gras stage February 22 from 2 to 4 p.m.
