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Mon Rovîa opens up about identity, belonging, and finding himself through music on the latest episode of Going There with Dr. Mike. Known for tracks like “Crooked the Road” and “To Watch the World Spin Without You,” he singer-songwriter shares his journey from a childhood marked by civil war and adoption to discovering his authentic self through art and healing. Listen to the full episode above or wherever you get your podcasts, and watch a clip from the episode below.
Born during the Second Liberian Civil War and adopted by missionaries who relocated him to the United States, Mon describes the complex identity struggles that shaped his early years. “I was an African American kid raised in a primarily middle class, white experience,” he explains. “It was tough trying to fit in, but also trying to play the part that I was supposed to play as that token black kid with my white friends going growing up, letting jokes fly by that maybe were uncomfortable, but, you know, trying to assimilate.”
The artist candidly reveals how this led to a profound “mental shattering of not knowing who I was” during college. While he tried to mask his pain by keeping a “jovial” personality, he eventually learned to alchemize his identity trauma into a truer understanding of his self, partially thanks to reading James Baldwin and listening to Bon Iver’s Blood Bank. He compares it to the Japanese art of Kintsugi, where cracks in pottery are repaired not to hide the damage, but to embrace the breaks as part of the piece’s history. “You use the past and take the learning experiences of it. Not all of it. I don’t think you need to take everything with you, and at some point you gotta bury it,” he explains, describing how he extracts “nutrients” from difficult experiences while learning to let go of guilt and self-blame.
It’s a fascinating, empowering discussion on how trauma can be transformed into beauty and positive identity, and you can hear Mon Rovîa discuss it all above or via your favorite podcatcher. You can also watch a clip below, and catch Mon Rovîa on his upcoming fall tour dates by getting tickets here.
Those in need of mental health assistance can also check out the Sound Mind Live resources page for a list of helplines, community programs, therapy links, and more.
Going There is created in partnership between the Consequence Podcast Network and Sound Mind Live. This season is brought to you by Johnson & Johnson, who believes that health is everything. Their strength in healthcare innovation empowers them to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal. Through their expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, they are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow, and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more at www.jnj.com, on the @JanssenUS and @JNJInnovMed on X.
