The talented and beautiful Joy Victor of Chinese-Indian parentage is no stranger to the entertainment scene. Living a beach life in Langkawi for 12 years with her family and close ties with her mother and sister has inspired her to write the song, “She’s Got It All” which was released in 2018. The music video also became a hit, starring 36 women, 4 dogs and a python. In a recent interview with Top 10 of Malaysia, Joy shares her journey and experience in the entertainment industry.
The vivacious Joy Victor’s motto is to always be thankful and grateful for everything she accomplished. “I am thankful for what I’ve achieved so far and I feel as if everything has fallen into place,” says Joy. “I never had plans of being a singer and that occurred unexpectedly. I wanted to be a veterinarian or news presenter. The dream almost came through as I was enrolled into TV3’s academy at Wangsa Maju after I completed my Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia. I was focusing to achieve a Foundation in Broadcasting and Journalism.”
Her ambition of being a news presenter didn’t turn into reality when Joy stumbled upon the path to being a singer. “I was never shy to be on stage. I love the stage because when I was young, I did ballet and tap dancing. I wasn’t afraid to sing.” That was how she started singing. “It was a very natural experience to the point it felt a bit scary,” Joy laughs. 18 years later, Joy is now a successful singer performing with her band, 9 Lives.
During her early years, Joy learned how to play the piano and organ but the lessons were only practical and nothing theoretical. “When I grew older, I taught myself how to play the guitar, a little bit of drum and bass. That happened when I started to play in a band. The band members would teach me a thing or two and I’ll pick things up on the way,” recalls Joy.
“When I first started singing, I joined a band which was a pure rock band. I didn’t have much knowledge on rock music but I soon started learning. However, I lost my voice along the way because I wasn’t given proper guidance in singing. I would be screaming every day at work and my participation in the rock band didn’t last very long,” laments Joy. “After some time, I realised that I wanted to spread my wings and try something better. Then, I came across the band called 9 Lives and that’s how my career as a singer started.”
That was year 2000 since she first joined 9 Lives and they have been together until today. “It’s not easy for people in a band to have the same goal and mindset. I am very fortunate to have good band members such as my band leader, Daniel Soliano Guerzo and drummer Diosdado Soliano Guerzo. We have formed a strong relationship, friendship and even family ties throughout these 18 years,” says Joy Besides, Joy also shares that music is one of their most vital passion and their main aim is to make the audience happy so at the end of the day, and they need to work with each other happily to make themselves feel contented.
“I have many idol singers because every singer could teach me different values. I will learn whatever I can from anyone I meet or who I see perform. Some of the international singers who inspire me are Pink, Bruno Mars, Melissa Etheridge, Bonnie Lynn Raitt, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and even Michael Jackson. In Malaysia, my music is dedicated to a wide variety of clientele and my music genre has become very diverse, ranging from hip hop, jazz, rock and country. Although I’m most comfortable with pop rock, I cover nearly all genres,” reveals Joy.
Her latest music video, “She’s Got It All” wasn’t released until early January 2018. Joy wrote the lyrics and it started with an inspiration with her sister. “I’m very close to my sister. She’s always there for me and family is very important to me. We love doing things together and she’s my greatest critic. She would frankly tell me to stop doing certain things and I would be okay with it. While I was writing the lyrics, many other women crossed my mind and I decided to include my mum, my other sister, a few parts about me and my friends in the lyrics. The song could be very general but it could inspire the listener individually to feel that the song is about them.”
The music video for “She’s Got It All” was self-funded as Joy is an independent singer and not attached to any recording label. She went and asked all the ladies who have been inspirational in her life to act in the music video and they agreed. Joy had a total of 36 women, 4 dogs and a python as the stars of the successful music video. “I love reptiles so I insisted that a python should be in my music video,” Joy says with a giggle. The shooting of the music video was rather challenging as she had to manage 36 women under one roof.
“When I first started my career, I didn’t know what to do. My future goals and plans evolve as I age. I embrace change and will pursue my interests as I go along life’s journey,” says Joy. “Apart from my career milestone, I feel blessed to be alive and I also feel excited and honoured to have received the Top 10 Malaysia Music Icon Award. I’m also lucky to be able to do something I enjoy for a living,” says Joy gratefully.
