Bio

Magno, also known as Monalicious (They/Them), is a multifaceted artist and community leader from Denver, CO. As an Educator, Musician, Videographer, Dancer, Movement Artist, and Producer, Mona has flourished within Denver's arts community, contributing significantly to its growth through their creativity and leadership.

Mona began writing music in 2008 and has since released several albums across multiple genres, with their sound described as "sweet nectar soul juice." They have performed at numerous festivals, including ARISE, Underground Music Showcase, Tribal Vision, Shamanic Boom, and Sisterwinds. Most recently, they released the EP "Precious Babe" on Free People Records.

In addition to their musical endeavors, Mona is the founder and executive producer of FreeMusicForFreePeople (FM4FP), a Denver-based community media company they launched in 2013 at just 17 years old. Over the past 11 years, Mona has elevated over 500 local artists through various FM4FP projects. Known as FreePeopleTV, Free People Records, and 'the denver underground,' FM4FP has been a cornerstone in hosting immersive events that foster creativity, collaboration, and community. Notable projects include TIMESTAMP: the exhibit, which featured 72 Colorado artists and was showcased at Denver's McNichols Building, gaining recognition on platforms such as TEDx and 9 News Denver. Another significant project is Latinx: de aquí y de allá, highlighting 13 Latinx/Chicanx artists, released in October 2024 as the third publication by "the denver underground," with support from the Denver Music Advancement Fund.

Mona's commitment to empowering the next generation of creatives is evident in their role as Youth Success Manager and Fellowship Coordinator at Youth on Record (YOR), a nationally recognized nonprofit that brings artistic opportunities to underserved youth. This year, they co-coordinated Impact Days at the Underground Music Showcase, a free, two-day music conference that featured over 70 industry experts and included a dedicated wellness track, providing holistic experiences for participants.

With extensive training in trauma-informed practices, liberatory engaged pedagogy, nonviolent communication, and motivational interviewing, Mona has been a full-time teaching artist and program coordinator since 2018. They also developed and facilitate a curriculum for training incoming YOR programming interns, focusing on skill-building for working with marginalized youth. In 2023, Mona presented at the MYDA (Music Youth and Development Alliance) Convening in New Orleans, leading a workshop on "Movement as Liberation."

Mona’s journey into movement arts began in 2021 with Ape Co Movement School. In 2022, they apprenticed under co-founder Zack Finer and studied with renowned international movement teachers like Winston Reynolds, Nil Teisner, Tina Afiyan Brieiova, and Marcello Palozzo. They also discovered Brazilian Zouk in 2021, training with esteemed instructors globally and graduating from District Zouk’s Professional Development program in Washington, DC. Since early 2023, they have been teaching locally through Denver Zouk School and Denver School for Social Dance.

Looking ahead, Mona is launching People of Movement, an initiative dedicated to expanding access to movement arts as a practice for well-being and as a vital form of artistic expression. With a history of working with underserved youth, Mona aims to prioritize serving marginalized communities through this initiative. 

Beyond their current community efforts, Mona has been involved in numerous local projects, including co-organizing Denver’s chapter of Balanced Breakfast (BB), an international networking organization that fosters community within local and national music scenes, alongside local producer Reed Fox from Moon Magnet Studios.