Interview Questions for COPA Style Magazine
Where are you from?
Hello, I am Joan Achong and I am from the beautiful Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago. I am the seventh of eight children born to my parents. My mother was a seamstress and came from a family of musicians and my father was a shoemaker and leather craftsman. I have always been closest to my father since conception and birth he played a big part in my life. On the day I was born he had to deliver me without any medical assistance because my mother went into labour during the early hours of the morning, there were no telephones, only a few folks in the town had access to a telephone, therefore, no help was available to him.
Fast forward a few years later, I would leave my homeland and migrate to the United Kingdom, which I’ve made London my ‘home from home’ for the past 20 odd years.
What influenced you to become a Talk Show Host?
First off all, I consider myself to be more of a Singer/Songwriter and TV Talk Show Host.
I was discovered a few years ago at a model casting event for an upcoming Fashion Show in London, West End by Moinul Hossain Mukul. He is a Film Producer/Director of “Bangladesh Idol” and the “Britain’s Curry Awards” and worked for an Asian Network in the Management and Programme Development Department. He was interviewing individuals at the fashion casting for a mini-documentary and I was one of the people he had interviewed at the event. We exchanged business cards and a few days later we spoke on the phone and he suggested that I ought to consider having a career in TV Presenting. He used words like, “you are comfortable in front of the camera, you’re very engaging and well spoken; and the camera loves you."
At the time, I was a bit skeptical of his suggestion about me becoming a TV Talk Show Host because I had no experience or training in that field apart from what I saw growing up on TV e.g. Oprah Winfrey, Ricky Lake, Jerry Springer and Doctor Phil etc., just to name a few.
In the autumn of 2018, we would met again at a Beauty Pageant in London; where he brought up the topic of me doing my own TV Talk Show; and that’s when I decided to take him up on the offer and give it a try.
Moinul, has since been like a big brother to me; a mentor who has guided me along this journey into becoming the TV Talk Show Host that I am today.
My TV programme is called “Caribbean VIP Chat Show with Joan Achong”, the show is based on the concept of addressing the social biases as to the under representation; the lack of representation and the media stereotype negative imagery portrayal of the Caribbean Diaspora within the global social media network. The show highlight and focuses on the positive social, economic, art, athletics, political and cultural contributions of some of our unsung heroes within the Caribbean Diaspora who have played an important role in helping to create and develop modern societies throughout the World.
In so doing, I have been challenged and pushed to limits beyond my wildest expectations. I have had to learn a tremendous amount about the many varied aspects pertaining to the Caribbean Diaspora and confront my own personal short comings and demons in a very short space of time. For which I am truly thankful.
What are some of the Topics?
The topic of the show varies as it’s geared specifically towards each Caribbean VIP guests’ personality, career pathways and their accomplishments e.g., fashion, health and motivation, sports, politics, music, art and culture. I always start at the beginning of their beginnings, this in order, for our viewers to gain a better understand of the circumstances and the challenges each VIP guest encountered along their way to success; which has made them the success story they are today. It is through the highs and lows can viewers truly identify with their own struggles. This in turn helps to give hope and inspire viewers to attain their life goals despite some the many challenges they may encounter along the way.
Have you always been an accomplished vocalist and what type of music do you sing when performing?
I grew up in a strict Christian home surrounded by the music of morning and evening family worship; my entire family sang. I am considered to be a natural singer as music has always been a part of my everyday life; therefore, singing came naturally to me. I have written and sung in multiple genres from Gospel, Accapella, Contemporary, Pop, Jazz, EDM and Lovers Rock. I have sung and been a soloist for touring community choirs both national and international; and performed as a soloist at diplomatic parties, concerts and at private functions. At age 16, I was offered my first record deal for Gospel, which was turned down by my parents. In my 20s, while living in the UK, I was offered several major record label contracts which all fell through, as a result, of the negative people around me.
It was only a few years ago after the shock of discovering my cousin dead in his apartment did I decide to take control of my own destiny. It would be a few years later that I would enter the music industry as an independent and released my first three singles “Let Her Go”, “Burnin” and “Night Moods”. The first two singles released were written, sung and co-produced by me the artist and produced by Raye Hamilton; with Night Moods being written by Jerry Ragovoy and produced by Demondo.
I have since gained recognition for my musical talent and was nominated and have won the UK DBE Music Award in the category of Best RnB/Soul Act 2018 and the UK Panache Global Entertainment Award 2018 in the category of Music. It was by winning these two prestigious Music Awards, which has helped and played in important role in career progression, in that, it has lead me onto bigger and better things…for which I am most grateful.
Please tell us a bit about your acting and modelling?
In my youth, I have acted and wrote scripts for church musical plays but never thought of acting as a career; seeing that I had only appeared in a few live Facebook blogs and a few other chat shows such as Caz Mac’s “No Ordinary Woman Chat Show” and live on BBC, Radio 1 and on IamRadio stations. The acting and scriptwriting roles only began to pop-up after I began filming ‘Caribbean VIP’. I was being recognised for my talent as being someone who could be relied upon to act at a moments’ notice; I was featured in a successful impromptu commercial video for the Jerk and Beyond Caribbean Food Festival at the Old Spitsfield Market, Liverpool Street, London with Sham Mahibar and his partner James of Limin’ in May 2019, which was picked up by the BBC TV News and then the acting role offers started pouring in.
I was head-hunted and offered an acting role in a Motion Picture where filming commences within the next 12 months; and I have been offered a scriptwriters role for a new TV Sci-fi series for which my personality and being a natural in front, of the TV cameras so convinced the Creator and Director of the TV Sci-fi series to give me a regular acting role on the show.
About the modelling, is purely accidental…I actually, don’t consider myself to be a model; I would simply say that I photograph well and it’s because the camera likes me. I have a love for beautiful people and beautiful energies.
For this purpose, I have been involved in many United Kingdom National and International Beauty Pageants where, I have helped prepare, motivate, chaperoned and judged numerous Beauty Queens, such as, Mrs World UK, Miss & Mrs Britain’s: Mrs Universe UK, Ms Earth, Miss Sexy UK, Miss UK Curvaceous, Miss Caribbean UK, Miss Nigeria International and Ms Trinidad and Tobago International UK.
I have organised commercial events; hosted model castings and prepare models for runway shows of exclusive UK Fashion Designers Brands, as part of the London Fashion Week runway show. I have been photographed by national and international celebrity photographers who are involved in the Beauty, Fashion and Film Industry and as a result my photos have made it in and on the pages of a few UK Magazines.
Who are a few of your best models and actors?
I absolutely adore fabulous people and I have a few current and past model favourites such as the likes of the iconic Iman, Naomi Campbell and Actress/Model Grace Jones; these women withstood the test of time and have become iconic figures, they are to me ‘Super Fabulous’ and I intend to one day interview some of them on Caribbean VIP. My current favourite British Runway Models who I consider having a star quality and the capablity of becoming truly iconic: Ina Nica, Alisha Safo, Janet Laca and male model Trey Alcantara some of them I know personally and have encouraged along their journey.
My all-time favourite actress whom I adore from childhood is Cicely Tyson followed by Michelle Pfeiffer, Angela Bassett, Samuel Jackson and Will Smith. All of whom have proven that their focus, resilience, beauty and talent which are ageless and limitless. Some of these models and role models have become an inspiration to others and have made a positive contribution to society, to their communities and worldwide.
What does the future hold for Joan Achong?
Career wise, I’m in a very good place in my life, as I have finally come to a place and time in my life where I love everything that I am doing. I am living my best life and I can’t help but smile, the future is looking bright.
As an award winning Singer, Songwriter and Recording Artist, I will be collaborating with award winning producers, musicians and other recording artists worldwide and I am so excited to be back in the recording studio working on new materials for my album. My newly self-appointed mentor “JB” is busy with plans for me going on tour later in 2020 once my studio album is complete.
As the TV Host of the brand new talk show Caribbean VIP Chat Show with Joan Achong, my TV Production Team and I are very excited about the shows debut coming soon to SKY TV platform. While filming Caribbean VIP for television, I was approached by the Creative Director of a future Motion Picture and offered an acting role which was very much like my real life character, and I said yes before the part was fully explained to me. The timing was perfect and I went along with what the universe had to offer, filming commences in 2020.
This in turn leaded me to my new role in becoming one of the Scriptwriters of a new British TV Sci-fi series. However, during my discussion with the Creative Director of the TV Sci-fi series, there was an important matriarch role figure which ‘spoke to me’ and that’s when I decided to convince the director to let me have the part as I thought that I was the perfect candidate for the role and would do great justice. Now, I’m a Scriptwriter come Actress added to my portfolio, the possibilities are endless.
I enjoy the process of evolving and re-inventing myself as I adapt to my ever changing career environment and to my personal circumstances. I have taken the good along with the bad and found ways in which to use it as a tool to pivot me on to the next opportunity the universe created for me. Don’t get me wrong, I have failed numerous times, but I’ve treated failure as my personal life coach, in that, I view it as a building block for the lessons I’ve had to be learn along the way. Through the years, I learnt the importance of never giving in to my insecurities and never give in to peer-pressure, I’ve confronted my fears and it’s what had led me to becoming the woman I am today.
In the future, am I open to being in a romantic relationship? The answer is yes. But for a while I was caught up in the process of creating my career platform, and developing my brand and I had no time to consider being romantically involved with anyone. Just the thought of someone trying to date me would get me annoyed and would get that person a definite, no. My excuse would be that I hadn’t the time to develop a relationship and relationships took time, I didn’t want any distractions in my life and therefore, I was not interested in dating. It’s only recently, that I am considering letting someone into my life, it is early days, not everyone around us approve but hey, it is what it is, we’re both consenting adults.
You can follow me on Facebook and on Instagram Joan1Achong_
My music is available on Google, ITunes, Amazon, CD Baby and on all major download sites.
Where are you from?
Hello, I am Joan Achong and I am from the beautiful Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago. I am the seventh of eight children born to my parents. My mother was a seamstress and came from a family of musicians and my father was a shoemaker and leather craftsman. I have always been closest to my father since conception and birth he played a big part in my life. On the day I was born he had to deliver me without any medical assistance because my mother went into labour during the early hours of the morning, there were no telephones, only a few folks in the town had access to a telephone, therefore, no help was available to him.
Fast forward a few years later, I would leave my homeland and migrate to the United Kingdom, which I’ve made London my ‘home from home’ for the past 20 odd years.
What influenced you to become a Talk Show Host?
First off all, I consider myself to be more of a Singer/Songwriter and TV Talk Show Host.
I was discovered a few years ago at a model casting event for an upcoming Fashion Show in London, West End by Moinul Hossain Mukul. He is a Film Producer/Director of “Bangladesh Idol” and the “Britain’s Curry Awards” and worked for an Asian Network in the Management and Programme Development Department. He was interviewing individuals at the fashion casting for a mini-documentary and I was one of the people he had interviewed at the event. We exchanged business cards and a few days later we spoke on the phone and he suggested that I ought to consider having a career in TV Presenting. He used words like, “you are comfortable in front of the camera, you’re very engaging and well spoken; and the camera loves you."
At the time, I was a bit skeptical of his suggestion about me becoming a TV Talk Show Host because I had no experience or training in that field apart from what I saw growing up on TV e.g. Oprah Winfrey, Ricky Lake, Jerry Springer and Doctor Phil etc., just to name a few.
In the autumn of 2018, we would met again at a Beauty Pageant in London; where he brought up the topic of me doing my own TV Talk Show; and that’s when I decided to take him up on the offer and give it a try.
Moinul, has since been like a big brother to me; a mentor who has guided me along this journey into becoming the TV Talk Show Host that I am today.
My TV programme is called “Caribbean VIP Chat Show with Joan Achong”, the show is based on the concept of addressing the social biases as to the under representation; the lack of representation and the media stereotype negative imagery portrayal of the Caribbean Diaspora within the global social media network. The show highlight and focuses on the positive social, economic, art, athletics, political and cultural contributions of some of our unsung heroes within the Caribbean Diaspora who have played an important role in helping to create and develop modern societies throughout the World.
In so doing, I have been challenged and pushed to limits beyond my wildest expectations. I have had to learn a tremendous amount about the many varied aspects pertaining to the Caribbean Diaspora and confront my own personal short comings and demons in a very short space of time. For which I am truly thankful.
What are some of the Topics?
The topic of the show varies as it’s geared specifically towards each Caribbean VIP guests’ personality, career pathways and their accomplishments e.g., fashion, health and motivation, sports, politics, music, art and culture. I always start at the beginning of their beginnings, this in order, for our viewers to gain a better understand of the circumstances and the challenges each VIP guest encountered along their way to success; which has made them the success story they are today. It is through the highs and lows can viewers truly identify with their own struggles. This in turn helps to give hope and inspire viewers to attain their life goals despite some the many challenges they may encounter along the way.
Have you always been an accomplished vocalist and what type of music do you sing when performing?
I grew up in a strict Christian home surrounded by the music of morning and evening family worship; my entire family sang. I am considered to be a natural singer as music has always been a part of my everyday life; therefore, singing came naturally to me. I have written and sung in multiple genres from Gospel, Accapella, Contemporary, Pop, Jazz, EDM and Lovers Rock. I have sung and been a soloist for touring community choirs both national and international; and performed as a soloist at diplomatic parties, concerts and at private functions. At age 16, I was offered my first record deal for Gospel, which was turned down by my parents. In my 20s, while living in the UK, I was offered several major record label contracts which all fell through, as a result, of the negative people around me.
It was only a few years ago after the shock of discovering my cousin dead in his apartment did I decide to take control of my own destiny. It would be a few years later that I would enter the music industry as an independent and released my first three singles “Let Her Go”, “Burnin” and “Night Moods”. The first two singles released were written, sung and co-produced by me the artist and produced by Raye Hamilton; with Night Moods being written by Jerry Ragovoy and produced by Demondo.
I have since gained recognition for my musical talent and was nominated and have won the UK DBE Music Award in the category of Best RnB/Soul Act 2018 and the UK Panache Global Entertainment Award 2018 in the category of Music. It was by winning these two prestigious Music Awards, which has helped and played in important role in career progression, in that, it has lead me onto bigger and better things…for which I am most grateful.
Please tell us a bit about your acting and modelling?
In my youth, I have acted and wrote scripts for church musical plays but never thought of acting as a career; seeing that I had only appeared in a few live Facebook blogs and a few other chat shows such as Caz Mac’s “No Ordinary Woman Chat Show” and live on BBC, Radio 1 and on IamRadio stations. The acting and scriptwriting roles only began to pop-up after I began filming ‘Caribbean VIP’. I was being recognised for my talent as being someone who could be relied upon to act at a moments’ notice; I was featured in a successful impromptu commercial video for the Jerk and Beyond Caribbean Food Festival at the Old Spitsfield Market, Liverpool Street, London with Sham Mahibar and his partner James of Limin’ in May 2019, which was picked up by the BBC TV News and then the acting role offers started pouring in.
I was head-hunted and offered an acting role in a Motion Picture where filming commences within the next 12 months; and I have been offered a scriptwriters role for a new TV Sci-fi series for which my personality and being a natural in front, of the TV cameras so convinced the Creator and Director of the TV Sci-fi series to give me a regular acting role on the show.
About the modelling, is purely accidental…I actually, don’t consider myself to be a model; I would simply say that I photograph well and it’s because the camera likes me. I have a love for beautiful people and beautiful energies.
For this purpose, I have been involved in many United Kingdom National and International Beauty Pageants where, I have helped prepare, motivate, chaperoned and judged numerous Beauty Queens, such as, Mrs World UK, Miss & Mrs Britain’s: Mrs Universe UK, Ms Earth, Miss Sexy UK, Miss UK Curvaceous, Miss Caribbean UK, Miss Nigeria International and Ms Trinidad and Tobago International UK.
I have organised commercial events; hosted model castings and prepare models for runway shows of exclusive UK Fashion Designers Brands, as part of the London Fashion Week runway show. I have been photographed by national and international celebrity photographers who are involved in the Beauty, Fashion and Film Industry and as a result my photos have made it in and on the pages of a few UK Magazines.
Who are a few of your best models and actors?
I absolutely adore fabulous people and I have a few current and past model favourites such as the likes of the iconic Iman, Naomi Campbell and Actress/Model Grace Jones; these women withstood the test of time and have become iconic figures, they are to me ‘Super Fabulous’ and I intend to one day interview some of them on Caribbean VIP. My current favourite British Runway Models who I consider having a star quality and the capablity of becoming truly iconic: Ina Nica, Alisha Safo, Janet Laca and male model Trey Alcantara some of them I know personally and have encouraged along their journey.
My all-time favourite actress whom I adore from childhood is Cicely Tyson followed by Michelle Pfeiffer, Angela Bassett, Samuel Jackson and Will Smith. All of whom have proven that their focus, resilience, beauty and talent which are ageless and limitless. Some of these models and role models have become an inspiration to others and have made a positive contribution to society, to their communities and worldwide.
What does the future hold for Joan Achong?
Career wise, I’m in a very good place in my life, as I have finally come to a place and time in my life where I love everything that I am doing. I am living my best life and I can’t help but smile, the future is looking bright.
As an award winning Singer, Songwriter and Recording Artist, I will be collaborating with award winning producers, musicians and other recording artists worldwide and I am so excited to be back in the recording studio working on new materials for my album. My newly self-appointed mentor “JB” is busy with plans for me going on tour later in 2020 once my studio album is complete.
As the TV Host of the brand new talk show Caribbean VIP Chat Show with Joan Achong, my TV Production Team and I are very excited about the shows debut coming soon to SKY TV platform. While filming Caribbean VIP for television, I was approached by the Creative Director of a future Motion Picture and offered an acting role which was very much like my real life character, and I said yes before the part was fully explained to me. The timing was perfect and I went along with what the universe had to offer, filming commences in 2020.
This in turn leaded me to my new role in becoming one of the Scriptwriters of a new British TV Sci-fi series. However, during my discussion with the Creative Director of the TV Sci-fi series, there was an important matriarch role figure which ‘spoke to me’ and that’s when I decided to convince the director to let me have the part as I thought that I was the perfect candidate for the role and would do great justice. Now, I’m a Scriptwriter come Actress added to my portfolio, the possibilities are endless.
I enjoy the process of evolving and re-inventing myself as I adapt to my ever changing career environment and to my personal circumstances. I have taken the good along with the bad and found ways in which to use it as a tool to pivot me on to the next opportunity the universe created for me. Don’t get me wrong, I have failed numerous times, but I’ve treated failure as my personal life coach, in that, I view it as a building block for the lessons I’ve had to be learn along the way. Through the years, I learnt the importance of never giving in to my insecurities and never give in to peer-pressure, I’ve confronted my fears and it’s what had led me to becoming the woman I am today.
In the future, am I open to being in a romantic relationship? The answer is yes. But for a while I was caught up in the process of creating my career platform, and developing my brand and I had no time to consider being romantically involved with anyone. Just the thought of someone trying to date me would get me annoyed and would get that person a definite, no. My excuse would be that I hadn’t the time to develop a relationship and relationships took time, I didn’t want any distractions in my life and therefore, I was not interested in dating. It’s only recently, that I am considering letting someone into my life, it is early days, not everyone around us approve but hey, it is what it is, we’re both consenting adults.
You can follow me on Facebook and on Instagram Joan1Achong_
My music is available on Google, ITunes, Amazon, CD Baby and on all major download sites.