whatm0vesyou

life's too short to be uninspired.

[whatm0vesyou]

on call w/ Victor Ray

hailing from Newcastle and Uganda, the world's favourite busker is taking over ! really enjoyed speaking to Victor about all about his journey, his creative process, the lessons he's learned through busking, and his latest project, 'i felt'.

his insight, consistency and sensibility really inspired me ! i hope it has the same effect on you !

[whatm0vesyou]

what moves you, victor?

victor vernicos & antigoni @ arnold square, shoreditch

i see a light in victor, and i also see parts of myself when i was his age. his love for music, his courage and his kindness really inspire me. his talent has already taken him to the global stage of eurovision at just 16 years old but that's truly just the beginning; his sensibility, determination and good faith are setting him up to make all his dreams come true.

[whatm0vesyou]

Burna Boy - I Told Them… thoughts of a music fan

Like all truly great artists, Burna Boy’s music, confidence, hard work, spirit, and just his being have the power to inspire and bring together not just Nigerians and Africans, but the whole entire world. 

I can’t tell you I understand every word he says in his songs. But I don’t have to, which I believe speaks to his comments regarding lyrics not mattering on Afrobeats. He and his collaborators have an incredible way of conveying and evoking joy greatly through sounds and melodies. And like joy, sometimes you don’t need to rationalise music. You only have to feel it. 

What matters is that his music makes you feel good, it makes you feel confident, it makes you dance. And Burna Boy’s music, including his latest album, does just that. He’s not trying to tell you who he is, what he does, or what he can do. It’s a record that signifies “I was here. I was right. I told you all from the beginning. And now I’m celebrating the success with this album.” You get a glimpse into his perspective that got him where he is through the voice recordings of Wu-Tang Klan, Virgil Abloh and J. Cole’s verse. 

Yes, it might not be the most experimental or thought-provoking album, but I think its existence and success are integral to Burna Boy’s story - at least from my perspective. So, I wanted to share how I’ve seen the growth of the African Giant as a Greek girl who always truly loved music and its power. 

I couldn’t tell you exactly when I heard a Burna Boy song for the first time, but an educated guess would be around 2017 or 2018 when I started going to club nights in Athens, where DJ Kas would play. I was already listening to a fair amount of R&B and Hip-Hop, which was what he would primarily play and why I was there. Often, Afrobeats would get thrown into the mix, and I grew to love the genre and the positive energy it had the power to transmit to people. 

Moving to the UK a year later and getting involved in the music scene through radio, club nights, genuine curiosity and friends who were kind enough to put me on to some great stuff, Afrobeats grew to have a special place in my heart and Spotify library, with Burna Boy and his authenticity occupying most of the space for a while. 

The moment I genuinely realised Burna Boy’s superpower was when I saw him perform at Nostos Festival while I was visiting Athens in 2021 (it's important to note that it was free to attend that!). Having lived in the UK and seen his growth there, and having an awareness of his influence within the African scene, I felt more than lucky to be part of that crowd. Most of my Greek friends at the time had never heard of his name, let alone my parents, but I went with my dad anyway.

At the festival grounds, the presence of Nigerians was strongly felt - it was a genuine moment of community coming together. But the crowd was also filled with people of all trades, ages, races and nationalities. From artists, NBA players, and Greek and Nigerian people I look up to, to kids I grew up with and everyday people, simply coming together and enjoying a moment of bliss and community. Burna Boy also fully bodied the performance. You could clearly hear and see the joy and happiness to be performing in his voice, moments, face, and interactions with the crowd. That’s when I understood that his music and performance are meant to be experienced globally. I saw his vision clearly. 

Since then, he’s had Last Last become one of the biggest songs last year, the success of Love, Damini, and his sold-out London Stadium show. And now, "I Told Them..." is the Number 1 album in the UK charts, making him the first African artist to ever achieve that. Literally making history.

However, my favourite highlight of his over the past year is his Champions League final performance. My mum, a Greek, non-football fan, recognised him from the 2021 show (that she didn’t even attend) and texted me saying that my dad is watching it. As I received it, one of his songs came on at a block party in Stratford, London I was at. Soon after I received that text, Jim Legxacy started performing to a crowd that truly celebrated him, and I felt like I just saw the cycle of inspiration and power of music unfolding in front of my eyes. I’ll let you unpack that one yourself. 

-antigoni

[whatm0vesyou]

it’s only right i shared what inspires me too

August 18, All Points East

thank you Ana for the questions and all your help (and tequila)

s/o @n4t4nya <3

[whatm0vesyou]

what inspires you?

August 18, @allpointseastuk

featuring a few wonderful people who personally inspire me; tendai, Divine, Sage and Joel, Sai and Simi.

[whatm0vesyou]

welcome.

Music has always been everything to me; my safe place, my way of communicating with others, my way of seeing the world for what it truly is. A beautiful mess made up of powerful stories, full of love and courage that defies all odds. My favourite artists taught me to ask questions, to be kind, to follow my dreams, to stay in touch with my inner child. They made me want to build an inspired, passionate and ever-evolving life for myself, and aspire to make the world a better place. 

@whatm0vesyou is a promise to myself to allow my passion to lead the way, prepare myself for whatever life decides to throw at me next, and be patient with myself and the world around me. I want to share music and stories of people that inspire me, and allow others to do the same in the form of a collective memoir. I want to make listeners to really feel the music they’re playing. And in turn, inspire artists to pour their soul into the music they are making. I want to help music professionals to remember what brought them here in the first place and I want people who care about me to understand why I do what I do. 

If that moves you, welcome aboard.