How business education prepared Leshan Masikonte for an artist’s life

In his early 20s and starting school, Leshan Masikonte (Bachelor of Business Administration ’23) wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his life. Or if he did, he was denying it, even to himself, struggling through different disciplines after arriving in Canada from Kenya in 2015.

“I came here to do engineering, mainly because [of] my parents,” says Masikonte. He considered it his best choice in a respectable but limited selection. “It's medicine, engineering, lawyer – you know, the normal stuff for us immigrant kids.”

But a year into university he knew the fit was wrong. Masikonte switched to computing sciences; the results were the same. So, upon hitting his mid-20s, he chose to balance being practical with following his heart.

“I decided I'm just going to figure out how to use the strengths that I have, which have always been my business skills.”

Masikonte started at NAIT in January 2020, focusing on finance.

His time in university, however, wasn’t fruitless. If fact, it would still help to point the way forward. In 2016, Masikonte formed his Afro-fusion band Melafrique. He plays bass. He is also, according to the group’s website, its CEO. All six members have executive titles: CFO, vice-president logistics, and so on.

That corporate-creative mashup is unusual, but it’s also indicative of the balance Masikonte has struck as a catalyst and community builder in the arts. Whether that’s through the band, which this year celebrates its 10th anniversary, or as musical director with the collective 5 Artists 1 Love, which celebrates its 20th year with a concert this June at the Winspear Centre, he's found his fit.

“He elevated everything”

Masikonte likes numbers and systems, and he’s good at using them; he’s a project manager by day with an Edmonton tech organization. But he also likes the social side of business. He made the most of such opportunities that arose at NAIT.

During his degree, Masikonte spent two years on the student senate, which oversees the NAIT Students’ Association executive council. In his last year, he served as a student member on NAIT’s Board of Governors, which ensures that the polytechnic operates according to its mandate.

“When I got into student leadership, that really taught me a ton about how to manage things, how to operate under pressure, how to lead a team, be part of a team, how to make big decisions, how to move things forward,” says Masikonte. “That was just huge.”

All of that has helped with developing and promoting Melafrique, which recently toured with Canadian R&B singer Jully Black and, before that, accompanied Edmonton writer and performer Titilope Sonuga for shows in Nigeria. His skills have helped other local artists, too.

As an artistic showcase of Edmonton's Black communities, 5 Artists 1 Love highlights and celebrates their North American, Caribbean and African origins. It grew from a gallery on 124 Street to filling space every February at the Art Gallery of Alberta. After the move, the concert was created to help cover costs.

That’s where Masikonte comes in as its musical director of three years. For this year’s show, that job means managing up to 100 performers and crew members (as well as playing in it).

“He stepped in and just elevated everything,” says Darren Jordan, 5 Artists 1 Love founder, director and producer. Masikonte brought innovation, management skills, business acumen, and industry connections that serve the organization year round.

Perhaps most importantly, Jordan notes that Masikonte embodies enthusiasm and authenticity, on stage and off. He sets participants at ease, acknowledges and honours cultural uniqueness, and enables each to enjoy being part of the event and to bring their best to it.

“And he's a good man,” says Jordan. “He has a strong moral compass.”

Building community and capacity

In many ways, finance is the foundation of growth and sustainability; it's how goals are achieved. For Masikonte, being a leader in that field means being a steward, or someone who cares about fostering conditions for success. It's about community building as much as number crunching. He sees a role for himself in that respect for Edmonton as a whole.

“I'm learning a lot of the skills to try to position myself to help the city grow, in my own small way,” Masikonte says.

He sees Edmonton’s potential to support a diverse group of artists, musicians in particular, and points to Toronto and Montreal as models.

“Edmonton has a lot of the same capacity,” he says.

Primarily, that capacity is talent, says Masikonte, be it creators or the industry members with the skills to support them. But he feels that both groups need more champions. Whatever form and time that effort takes, be it as a connector, producer or supporter, it’s one more job he’s eager to take on.

“This is what I'm meant to be doing,” says Masikonte. “That has always been important to me.”

Finding a purpose is rarely a straight path. But in taking it, and being open to learning lessons along the way, inside and outside the classroom, the musician and manager is moving toward a version of success he considers to be on par with medicine, engineering and law.

“At the end of the day,” says Masikonte, “I just want to be the type of person who people look up to.”