Recording Artist Manafest: Showing What It Takes to Be a Fighter

by Cyrus Webb

All of us know what it's like to experience challenges, but what is an even better experience is coming out on the other side. Individuals of faith have God's word to rely on, and it comes in many ways. Take for instance recording artist Manafest. When I was introduced to his single Fighter I could appreciate instantly why individuals were saying that he was literally changing the world through music. The song and the project overall is about looking past your problems to the One able to bring about real solutions.

Later this year Manafest is taking that message a step further through the release of his book by the same name. Having the opportunity to chat with him on the radio, I asked what it's been like to see the way his music is definitely having an impact.

"It's amazing," he told me. Manafest went on to say that it's one thing to record the songs but when you hear the stories from the fans "it really touches you."

So how did he get to a place where he was able to fill venues and sell over 200k units? The answer might just surprise you.

"It started in late 1999," Manafest told me. "I hurt myself in a skate accident and got dumped by a girlfriend and was really in a dark place. Skating was my life up until that point. I found I had all this free time on my hands. At that age---18 or 19---it felt like my whole life had fallen apart. Music allowed me to paint the pain and the struggle I went through. It gave me a way to express myself."

Manafest also says that he had a praying mom along with roots of God and faith and that gave him not just a foundation to stand on but a direction in which to focus his creativity. Today that same music is allowing him to resonate with audiences around the world, giving them a voice.

Where he is today is not where he started off, but Manafest says that is just an example of what God does. "When I started in music I was terrible," he confessed, "but God takes unlikely people and does great things with them. He looks at the heart.".

With the success and the recognition that he has gotten I asked Manafest how he has been able to keep himself (meaning the ego) out of the mix. His answer said so much about not just realizing who gave you your gift but why you have it. "You have to understand the why and the purpose, he said. "For me I stopped going out there (the stage) looking to get. Instead I went out there looking to give. I would ask how could I inspire and change people's lives today. When you change that perspective it changes everything."

There were so many nuggets of wisdom that Manafest had to share, but one of the biggest had to do with something I talk about a great deal: the importance of moving forward. "We can sometimes let our past dictate where you are," he says. "We have to get to a place where we can forget it and move on. Sometimes it's easier said than done. Sometimes time is the only healer. Just remember that problems are a sign of life. Get used to it, get used to change and grow from it. The more you do the less fear you will have."

For more details about upcoming projects from Manafest including how to get his album and book FIGHTER visit www.manafest.net.