As usual, the results were a mix of wildly differing opinions.

Conflicting Reviews

Searching for reasons to visit Morocco online can leave you more confused than enlightened. You’ll find dazzling reviews (“Visit Morocco, and you’ll wonder where it’s been all your life!”). Mixed opinions (“Morocco is great, but you have to haggle over prices in the souks, which can be exhausting”). Foodie reviews (“Why you must eat a beef tagine before you leave the Kingdom of Light!”), and random articles tied to the writer’s profession or hobbies.  “I am a professional photographer: here are all the picture-perfect places to visit in Morocco”.

These reviews are all great, but for me, they didn’t quite tell the story of the Moroccan people are. They don’t describe the general vibe, and what one should expect to see as an African in another African country.

My Experience

So, here’s my opinion of what you’ll most likely notice after a few hours in Morocco. It might not resonate with you, but I hope it gives you a new perspective on this country.

But first, a quick disclaimer…

My short stay in Morocco meant I did not get to explore the country as I would have loved to. However, I saw enough to give me a general idea about the country and its people. I spent only 5 days in Morocco, and I did not get to experience the more laid-back charm of the cities of Essaouira and Fez (or Fes if you like). I also didn’t get to see the stark beauty of the desert town of Merzouga. While I toured the more popular cities of Tangier, Casablanca, and Marrakech, my visit cannot give a conclusive summary of this beautiful country. Nevertheless, here’s everything I noticed in just a short amount of time.

The Rich Culture

From the moment we landed in Casablanca, I got the impression that Morocco is a kingdom of ancient traditions and long-held cultural values. This is evident in the homogeneous architecture and the prevalent craftsmanship seen in the designs on the ceilings and walls. The furniture and accents in homes, hotels, and other commercial establishments, and the handcrafted items available for sale in souks all over the cities. Moroccans are incredibly proud of their culture and traditions, and it shows everywhere and in everything.

A Feast for the Eyes

Everywhere you go, it is common to see hand-designed patterns on the walls and ceilings, such as the stunning designs at La Musee des Confluences in Marrakech.

Beauty and Skincare

Moroccan traditions extend to beauty and skincare. You’d have heard of argan oil and its numerous benefits, but, in Morocco, you would see it in action everywhere you go. Argan oil, known for its numerous benefits, is used extensively. In Tangier, vendors offered customised body oils featuring argan oil and other ingredients like cloves, rosemary, and black seeds.

With an underlying pride and a hint of emotion in their voices, all said the same thing: their formulations are potent and would work because they use age-old recipes. Recipes inherited from their parents who in turn learned it from their parents who unsurprisingly were taught by their own parents …Their pride in these age-old recipes was evident!

Culinary Delights

Moroccan cuisine is definitely a highlight! It doesn’t matter if you’re in a 5-star hotel restaurant, a Michelin-endorsed dining establishment, or a street café. You’ll be served traditional Moroccan dishes, including the famous tagines. One of my most profound memories was being welcomed by hotel staff in traditional attire, serving mint tea and delicious sweets. This experience rivaled my first taste of beef tagine in a quaint restaurant in Chefchaouen.

An Active Lifestyle

Moroccans are walkers. The cities are designed with narrow alleyways and strategically placed amenities, encouraging walking. Taxis are mostly for tourists or those who cannot walk due to distance or health reasons. This lifestyle contributes to the fitness of older locals. The life expectancy in Morocco is between 73-74 years, but judging from the energetic crowds, it just might be closer to 80.

The Verdict

If you’re wondering whether to visit Morocco this summer or next, I’ll say, “Go!”

Because the pictures show a fabulous country to vacation in.

You’ve heard so much and want to see if the hype is true.

You crave authenticity and adventure in your travels.

But ultimately, go because you will learn so much, from the importance of preserving culture and traditions to the beauty of taking pride in who you are and being unapologetic about it.

The post Experience Morocco! A Journey of Culture and Tradition first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post Experience Morocco! A Journey of Culture and Tradition appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

Just last year, Ugonna decided it was time for a new creative challenge: she quit her role as the Director and Chief Curator of the Guild of Professional Fine Artists of Nigeria to open her art gallery. It’s been a year, and the Yenwa Gallery, situated in the very urban and chic Victoria Island of Lagos state is going strong, with several impressive achievements in its portfolio. She agreed to speak with us about the journey so far and some of the intricacies of owning an art business in Nigeria, among other things.

In Conversation with Ugonna Ibe begins now…

ALM: What are some unique challenges you’ve faced running an art gallery in Nigeria? How did you resolve them, and how would they shape your business in future?

UI: For the gallery, if I think about all the new-age galleries, I would say the others have been open for two, or three years. I think that I was maybe one of two galleries that opened last year and I know that I opened the gallery at an exchange rate of 740 [dollars to naira] and so, to be in year one of running a luxury business, and having the currency devaluing to that degree, was extremely challenging. It has been one that we had to adjust to, especially when considering pricing the works: do we price in naira, or do we price in dollars? These were questions that I didn’t consider. I started the gallery knowing that we were going to charge in Naira. And to be fair, to a certain extent, we have maintained that. But … I would say that is one of the biggest ones.

And of course, the transition; leaving curating for other people to then starting a business where I am balancing curatorial integrity and running an art business which are two completely different sorts of things. And that has been something that is an ever-evolving thought and process. How am I finding that middle ground of creating great curatorial shows, adding more programming and educational components while remembering that it is an art business which has to be profitable to pay the bills and the artists?

ALM: I am curious when you talk about the curatorial side of the business, does that mean it’s not profitable?

UI: No.

What I mean is, there are different ways of running an art gallery. You have the art dealers who are just dealing art and some of them don’t even put on shows; they don’t even put on exhibitions. And there are some shows that the impact is in the narrative, the impact is in the archival work being exhibited, and the impact is in the discussion around the work. It is not necessarily conceptual. And those are things that as a curator, I have done in the past and I’m interested in, and so many things you want to explore, whilst also making sure that [as] you’re running a business and you have a physical space, that you’re also doing commercial work at the end of the day. And sometimes, there isn’t room for commercial and curatorial. So that is just like the ongoing strategic thinking that I’m doing with creating my gallery’s programming.

So making sure that we have enough successful commercial shows that somewhat fund and make room for more experimental shows I should say – more experimental shows, more programming, more educational shows. Even though, because of my love for writing and narratives, we still make sure there is a strong curatorial component to our commercial shows. And I think that is also part of what is the selling point. When you come in … and we don’t do this just through text: we do it through experiences. So most of the time when you come into the space, it feels new with every exhibition … you’re transported and that is also one way to still keep it fresh and interesting even if it is just a commercial show. 

ALM: What is the one thing you want the Yenwa Gallery to be known for?

UI: If you look at our exhibitions, we have given a lot of women their first solo shows, and that is something I’m proud of, to be able to work with young women and to be able to give them that opportunity to show. But I also would like for people to … when you think about it, you know you’re going to see something interesting, something fresh and it’s going to be an experience. And that’s what I want. I want you to talk about the exhibition to other people once you leave.

ALM: So far, what has been Nigerians’ attitude towards the arts? Especially in light of our increasingly dwindling disposable income. How has that affected our attitude and perception of the arts, and generally, do you think we’re a country that truly appreciates art?

UI: So that is a very interesting question; I’ll answer the second one first. Because what I would like to know is what is your definition of appreciation? Is it appreciation from a Western lens or from the way that we live? Because I think that through time, we have always appreciated art. We have a very decorative culture, we have interesting doors, and we have interesting stools. A lot of art is in people’s homes whether they are known names or not. But I think that we have always appreciated art.

Now, when it comes to the art business, there are (sic) of course formulas to ensure that some artists, ‘ work keeps increasing in value. So, it is that system that I think we don’t have a handle on. It is still dependent on the West. But, when it comes to collecting, there is a small collector base, and there is a growing appreciation of art for collecting. Yes, the economy is very bad, but, we had our opening [the other day] for the Laju Sholola show and we sold out! I can’t believe it. But, we were also very intentional about the time that we were exhibiting the works, the type of works we were exhibiting, the sizes that we were offering, and the price points that we were offering. To make sure that the artist is happy with the price point, but that it is also sensitive to the economy.

So, in times like this, what you find is, art is bought differently. Collectors are always going to buy art. It’s almost an addiction but we’re grateful for it because we still need more – more investment in the space and more collectors. But you just find that peoples’ priorities shift in their collecting. And so that is something that as a gallerist, I have to be aware of. What type of art should I be offering, at what price point should I be offering the art and to whom should I be offering the art? So it’s just adjusting, adjusting and pivoting and maintaining, trying to sustain yourself through this period. But thinking about it strategically to make sure you’re offering the right thing at the right time. And I think we knocked it out with the Laju Sholola show!

ALM: What are some challenges artists face in Nigeria, and how do you think these can be overcome?

UI: Listen. I’ll tell you there are many challenges, but the number one is funding. And funding can solve a lot of those other problems. If you want quality art materials so that you can make quality, long-lasting art, you need money. And most of it, if not all, are imported and as the currency devalues, the more expensive the materials are becoming.

Now, this affects [the artists] in so many ways. Some people can’t create work, some people are creating work that simply responds to the market; they are not creating authentic work anymore because it’s tough. You want to sell, you see what’s selling [and say] “I can do that” so you do that. But, that is not the recipe for a long-lasting career. It might get you a few pieces bought here and there, but if you’re looking to sustain a noteworthy career, that’s not the way to go. However the funding is across the board so the artists need money for materials, the institutions need funding for programming and to be able to create space for artists to be able to show. So there are so many ways it impacts, and I’ll say ultimately, it’s the funding.

ALM: Is it possible to work with local materials as a way around this problem?

UI: Of course, it is possible … and you’re talking more about people who work with environmental themes or in environmental art. But that is such a niche and a small subset of artists. And when you look at also what the art market is doing, people are buying predominantly paintings. And even people who are using found materials and mixed media – mixed media, there is likely some acrylic in there somewhere; so, we can’t tell — I don’t know what percentage of the market — to switch their materials. And also, the artist is creating – an artist who has a genuine narrative – there is a reason for the materials that they have chosen, So, you can’t say, ‘Stop using acrylic.’ There’s a reason they have chosen that.

The person who is sculpting, there is a reason they are sculpting their stories into that medium.  So, it’s not about switching. How many sculptors can you name that are hot right now? And you know, that is also something that I’m looking at right now; I’m not seeing as many young sculptors – we were seeing a few popping up here and there but I’d be excited to see more people try out that medium. But again, it’s likely people are going for what is selling the most, and that comes from a place of lack.

ALM: How do you determine that an artwork is valuable enough to be showcased at the gallery? How do you pick your artists and how do you select the pieces?

UI: I only show the world what I believe in, the works that I like. My art appreciation is vast. That I might love it does not necessarily mean that I might buy it but I know who would. I know who to market it to, I know it’s brilliant work, I know it’s beautiful work, and it has to be something that I believe in, that I know that I can sell. It has to be made properly so the right materials, quality materials, and there’s a difference. Sometimes we have emerging artists who have a really good eye, have really good skills. But if I talk to them and we can’t land on a narrative, I’m hesitant. Because I worry about the sustainability of the artist and I worry whether this is just good craftsmanship, or if this is an artist that has many stories to tell, and many ways in which the work can develop. Of course, it’s a gamble every time, but, for artists who are already working, so not new and undiscovered, I’m looking at consistency, I want to be able to place works in collections and trust that the artist would keep creating. My collectors are buying what they love, but they’re looking also for works that will appreciate, at least some of them. And so, there is an integrity to selling works, knowing that I love it, I trust it, I trust where the artist is going, I will back the artist, things like that.

So, a lot of times it’s a feeling, and the work is beautiful. It really has to be something that feels special, feels unique, that feels genuine to the artist, and I know that I can find a home for the work.

ALM: How has the art season in Nigeria and Africa evolved especially with regards to Art X and other popular art fests?

UI: So Art X has been phenomenal in many ways. One of the major [ways] is obviously being a platform that can introduce Nigerian, West African artists, that can platform them, propel them. And sometimes not just introduce, but just give a better visibility to artists who have already been working for a long time. So that of course is a key benefit.

But really, it is the art ecosystem that they have created around Art X that has truly been special. Art week is a thing. There are so many interesting shows, there are so many interesting performances. It has created even more opportunities for people, for galleries for artists. And I think that that is great. It’s created a platform for other people to be discovered and to work. Right now, there is a global decline in art sales, but if you compare African art, the decline in African art sales is nowhere near the decline in global art sales. And that speaks to the resilience of the African art market, and we’re grateful for platforms such as Art X that are value-creating institutions on the ground which we need more of. Especially when we don’t want to be solely at the whim of the international market to be able to create value locally and that is what I think Art X has done exceptionally well. And we just need more of those opportunities in different forms, and not necessarily another art fair. I am talking about the museums – again museums need funding (laughs) – the residences that are local residences but are globally-recognised.

ALM: Is there a difference between how the works of Africans in the diaspora are valued and how those on the continent are valued?

UI: Of course, there’s a major difference, and it’s just, that we’re in two different economies, and the entry point for arts internationally is completely different to the entry point for arts in Nigeria and West Africa. Just think about the amount of money people are making in Nigeria … an entry point of $5000 in America… ok, a bit high but it’s doable. But an entry point of ₦5 million, which is still less than $5000 is relatively unheard of.

But also, what is the context here, what is the reason that you can even have a high entry point? You’ve gone to possibly a reputable art school, you’ve done an interesting residency, you’ve worked in an international gallery whose price point started at $5000 … you know, so many things in the ecosystem that allow the work to be those prices, and, that just don’t [allow that] here. What is the justification for the price point? You can justify some things even though you call them expensive abroad. But here, a lot of the art schools have lost their glory unfortunately and that is something that also needs to be looked at. [Also] do we really have any strong residencies? What are the value-creating systems the artists are going through locally to say this is my price point? This is why you see a jump in prices when a local artist is shown internationally and he’s left our shores.

Of course, the work here is undervalued and we have to respond to the local market, as we have to respond to the buying strength of the local market.

ALM: What are the major generational differences you’ve seen among art collectors who come to the gallery?

UI: That’s an interesting question!

So, there are generational differences which have also changed over time as well. I would say right now, your more established collectors are collecting more established artists, for good reason. However, established artists are slightly out of the price point of a younger collector. So you have that collector collecting more emerging artists.

A few years ago, established collectors were voraciously collecting emerging artists’ works as well, but the market was a little better than it is now, unfortunately. And so you’d see a growth in the value of those works exponentially and you had artists who were getting snapped up by international galleries and things of that nature. But … I spoke to collectors who said they have collected so many emerging artists, and only a few of them ever really became successful internationally. So what we have now is just a gap. A lot of established collectors have so many works and right now, to build a robust collection, you want to have some of the top names, you want to have the established names because they’re bankable at the end of the day, they hold the value.

We’re still connecting emerging collectors to established artists but of course, like I said, the price point is a little bit high. So, [as an emerging collector] you keep a name in mind and you work towards getting that. But right now I would say emerging collectors are buying mostly emerging artists. The emerging collector is truly buying what they love and that’s great, that’s exciting to see. And established collectors are prioritising and they are more critical. 

ALM: Are there any current conversations around tokenising artworks? Are people crowd-funding to buy pieces?

UI: There is a company that is pushing that; that’s what they do – fractional ownership of Nigerian arts, of masters and whatnot. I think that for that, there’s a massive education gap [because] how many people even know these things? It’s weird … right now I don’t know that they’ve found a sweet spot with who the target audience is for that. I think it’s necessary, it’s something that is happening globally, but, imagine if you have the option to buy a piece of Picasso, Van Gogh …  when you consider it, the people who get it, the people who know the names, they probably have the money, so why would you want to buy with anybody?

Then there is a smaller subset of people who crowd-fund to buy art, and it’s [still] fractional ownership, but it’s like friend groups. But how many pockets of those are you finding? It is something to encourage for sure, to encourage collecting together. I don’t know, I guess you have to make sure your contracts are tight. 

ALM: What is the one thing you wish you knew before getting into this line of business?

UI: That’s a tough question!

The only thing that comes to mind … cos obviously, I didn’t have physical space but I’ve been operating for a while. I guess the difference is … it’s interesting cos when I was helping out in other spaces in curating works there was a more intimate relationship with the artists. But I found that there is a stigma in being a gallerist and the artist is a little bit tense. There is a little bit of tension between the gallery and the artist which I don’t think should be at all, especially here, locally. I don’t know galleries to be exploitative or anything of that nature.

[After] the first couple of experiences [I now know] to have a firm contractual agreement with the artist. Now, we always had contracts of course, but certain things weren’t detailed within the contracts. So now my contracts are very, very tight: they’re given an advance so that we both understand our responsibilities during the show. Again, I think it is also a problem of artists not understanding the gallery model but, I have had to just be firmer with the art business, which removes me a little bit from the artist sometimes. I didn’t anticipate that change in the relationship, but it is all the better for everyone involved.

ALM: What would you like to see change in the Nigerian art scene?

UI: If I say funding again will you complain? (laughs)

I would say that it does go back to funding, but I want to see more experimental work within the art scene; I want to see more experimental exhibitions, more historical exhibitions. Just things that are beyond the gallery space: more public exhibitions, public art, community engagements, more public programming, more collaborations within the art ecosystem between galleries and museums, which I think is also a way to support where there’s a lack of finance. So say the museum can’t afford to hire me as a curator, but I can offer programming support, and join exhibitions or something. Just more collaborations to think through the way we present art and art education.

Of course, all of these things are us again trying to survive despite the government, but really what we need is governmental assistance. When you see other countries — look at the Biennale in Dakar that is funded by the government — we need that sort of support because otherwise, we’re stuck in the rat race of commercial exhibitions since everybody has to pay the bills. We have so many stories to tell, we have so much history to tell, and we have so many socio-political stories to document through art. There are so many things that can be done in so many interesting ways, so many spaces that can be occupied in very different ways. But it all boils down to being able to, because certain things that are public or educational, they’re not bringing any money. So who’s going to fund that? But that is what I would like to see because it also allows artists to see the different ways in which they can exist, the different ways in which they can create art. If you only see paintings on a gallery wall, you’ll believe that it is the only thing the market finds valuable. And that’s not necessarily so. We have shown photography, we’ve shown new media, we’ve shown experimental art, conceptual art to a certain degree, but not everybody is showing now or can, but they may want to and people have bigger, larger ideas, but they don’t have the funding to put this on. However, the artist may not understand all these things going on behind the scenes.

I have a performance artist that was speaking to me and that was his complaint, that he does not see any space that is showing performance art or making room for performance artists. And I love performance art. I don’t know that my physical structure can accommodate it as well as it should, but I’m thinking of ways we can create the work to fit the space. I think that it’s crucial especially for the artist to see all the ways that they can create and know that it will be accepted and know that they would find a place.

So, I’m looking for that cos as a creative, you want to feel free, you want to feel authentic but you also want to know that somebody is going to listen and watch and buy and invest and all of those things.

ALM: What major achievement are you most proud of concerning the gallery?

UI: Surviving girl, surviving!

I’ll tell you an achievement I’m proud of. I’m proud of many things, to be honest. I’m proud of starting, of taking the leap and getting up each day and being able to give opportunities to artists: I think that it is such a worthy way to live life and I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with art and artists.

In particular, I showed a mid-career artist, Joshua Nmesirionye, who is a part of the Guild of Professional Fine Artists of Nigeria. He has shown with all the names that are popular and he’s well known to seasoned collectors, but not all: he’s a quiet painter. But until we offered him his first show – of course, we established a relationship when I was working with the GFA – he’s only shown in group exhibitions. We showed his first solo which included an exhibition of his sculptures for the first time and it was so well-received.

At the time, the Kinseys were visiting Nigeria – they came shortly after the show. Bernard and Shirley Kinsey are the largest collectors of African-American art in history and I had shown Joshua a month before they came. I then had the opportunity to install artwork for an evening programme they were scheduled to speak at in the US Consulate. And so I brought one of my favourite pieces from Joshua’s exhibition, which, the only reason it didn’t sell is because I was being low-balled so badly I refused because I loved it so much that I thought it was being undervalued.  Truly the exhibition had done well, and I didn’t want a situation of selling by any means necessary.  So I held on to it. I placed it in the consulate for this talk and that is when they saw the work and they fell in love and they wanted to see more. We talked through different things and they ended up getting two pieces from him: one painting and that sculpture.  Their collection has been touring America for the past 18 years. They have almost a thousand pieces in history. And when they purchased Joseph’s work, that was the first time in 18 years that they had added a piece of non-African-American work of art. They then put it up for exhibition and I thought that that was so remarkable: an artist who’s been working for many years, who has been showing, and he finally gets his first solo and a piece of that work is now sitting in a museum in Houston. Of course, beyond the museum, it’s now a permanent part of the Kinsey’s collection history. And for me, I thought that was very special, I’m glad I was able to be a part of that journey.

But, there have been many other milestones, to be honest: we had our first art fair, and we recently celebrated our first anniversary as a gallery. Like I said, at the end of the day, I am grateful that I’m still able to open my doors and put on shows.

ALM: So, did that elevate the price of his works in general?

UI: So I’m going to answer this question in 2 parts. Because that is also another problem that we’re finding especially with emerging artists, where you sell a piece of work, especially direct sales; somebody hits you up on Instagram, and you sell at $5000 and all of a sudden, you think all your prices are now $5000.

So, this was a singular event, and with every exhibition, the prices do have to adjust a little bit. [Sales like this] add value [to an artist’s body of work] but it’s aggregate over time, so now it’s easier for me to get into the next thing. You have to add all these things together to then say this is what it is. Now, the prices that truly affect people’s price point is auction sales, but it is also all of these things, all of these plug points that give a good narrative for why they should join an auction.

ALM: What’s next for the Yenwa Gallery? Any big projects?

UI: Yes.

We will be launching our art residency soon: I don’t know when, but the space is ready, so if anything we might probably launch towards the end of the year. We are hoping to do more fairs next year. We’re talking to a few international galleries to collaborate on exhibitions. But yes, I think the art residency will probably be the biggest programme and then, of course, we intend to represent artists. So we will probably be making that announcement at the start of next year. Maybe at the end of our residency, we would use that opportunity to then announce the artist that we’re representing. And that is the direction that we want to go in.

ALM: Do you have any particular view towards AI and the arts? Would you like to share that with us?

UI: Yes. If you’re talking about AI specifically, yes.

I think that I’m not up to date on the legal happening right now, but my issues are the ethics behind the source material for AI and whose work is that, how is that regulated? I don’t imagine the source material even considers the African artist and the African perspective. So to me, I support visual artists; AI in particular is obviously where I draw the line. I have an ethical objection to it. I haven’t seen a compelling use case yet, so…

ALM: What are 3 things that people don’t know about you?

UI: I’m an introvert. I don’t know, maybe people know that but I think that most people think I’m extroverted. But I went to performing arts school for a long time so I just know how to be an extrovert. I’m very much introverted. I like my personal space and I need to recharge. So it’s very tough being in this business because it’s a lot of networking, it’s a lot of “people-ing”, so I always need to recharge.

Another thing would be that I’m a singer; a lot of people don’t know that. But also I think that’s intentional, I don’t talk about it because many people would then ask me to sing.

[Lastly] I’m a painter, I paint.

ALM: If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing?

UI: I would be acting full-time. I did drama, art voice, all of that. I still want to act at some point. But let’s leave the creatives. If I wasn’t doing this, I would be a therapist.

I did not speak about [my environmentalist background] because I feel I’ve got a roundabout way to get to it at this point where I am finding ways to integrate, to consider the ways that art and artists can respond to the climate challenge. So documentaries and films are (sic) part of art, platforms that are telling the stories about what’s going on in the environment. And talking about the environment from the African perspective, I think that art is equal to the task. It makes it less personal but also less confrontational which I think is necessary. People tune out when you mention the environment, and people don’t have a true understanding of environmental impact in my opinion. I’ve had too many people say that thinking about the environment is like the final bus stop of bougie things.

I was at a talk, and someone in the audience said that people are hungry and people are this and why would I think about that? And I was like those are the people that are suffering the environmental impact the most, they just don’t know it. I can choose my environment and insulate myself to a certain degree, but a lot of people cannot do that. Between the air quality, the water, the flooding…  and I think that art allows you to make those things more real and more personal. So I don’t feel like I’m not doing the sustainability; I’m not doing it in the way that I thought I would do it, and that’s ok. I think that this way is truer to self.

ALM: I cannot go into a meeting without …

UI: Preparing and picking an outfit.

ALM: I cannot step out of the house without …

UI: My power bank. But that’s just a Nigerian problem. If I were not in Nigeria, I would never leave home without my lipgloss, because I leave with at least two.

ALM: My day is not complete until I have done …

UI: I talk with all four of my sisters every day.

‘In Conversation with’ by ASPIRE Luxury Magazine celebrates stars, influencers, celebrities and public figures, shining a spotlight on their lives and the incredible stories they have to share.

The post In Conversation with Ugonna Ibe, Multi-Hyphenate Creative and Founder of Yenwa Art Gallery first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post In Conversation with Ugonna Ibe, Multi-Hyphenate Creative and Founder of Yenwa Art Gallery appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

Hennessy launched In The Paint back in 2021 to foster community development through a blend of art and sports. So far, seven courts have been unveiled and are in use all over the world from Nigeria to Ghana, Tanzania to South Africa, Barbados, Mexico and Hong Kong. By bringing Joakim Noah on board, Hennessy hopes to move from just building physical structures that local communities can enjoy, but establishing programmes that would also elevate and empower its members.

Noah is no stranger to sports and arts. The former basketball star who is renowned for his grit and tenacity on the court, as well as his contribution towards his teams’ successes has been busy since his retirement in 2021. His personal project, the Noah’s Arc Foundation (which he co-founded with his mother, artist Cécilia Rodhe) combines arts and sports to help people living in underserved areas discover who they really are outside of the physical realities they live and deal with. He is also heavily involved in other initiatives like the One City Basketball League in Chicago, the Basketball Africa League, and, the NBA.

This October, Joakim Noah came to Lagos, Nigeria to launch the latest Hennessy In The Paint basketball court located in VGC Lagos. We sat down with him to talk about his life and pursuits and find out more about this new initiative.

In conversation with Joakim Noah begins now …

ALM: You come from a strong professional athletic family. Did this in any way pressure you into sports?

JN: I don’t think it pressured me into sports. I think sports is what I’ve always wanted; basketball is what I’ve wanted. And I was blessed to see … at a young age, I was able to see my father train. And you know, just being in that kind of environment, it definitely shaped me. So I knew what it takes, the sacrifices it takes to become a professional athlete. And it’s not easy.

So I’m happy that, even though that part of my life is over now, it’s [now] about mentoring and partnering with the right people and building infrastructure.

ALM: What has been the downside of coming from such a strong, athletic background?

JN: Downside? No! I am living out my dream. Ever since I was a kid, my goal was to become a professional basketball player and I was able to do that. Now, it’s about transforming my experience into inspiring the youth, and, being able to partner with initiatives like In The Paint and Hennessy and big platforms like this only make the work easier because they are building the right infrastructure for these kids.

ALM: With the type of work you’ve been doing with different brands (the NBA and BAL (Basketball Africa League) to develop basketball as a sport, what has been the greatest achievement(s) for you so far?

JN: The biggest achievement has definitely been investing in the NBA African League … because a lot of these initiatives, especially when I was younger, as a player [did not exist and] I was alone. And you know, that’s always tough. So just connecting with the right people [has been great] but I think, so far the one that I am most proud of is the [court] that we built in Cameroon on my great-grandfather’s land.

So, we built a beautiful court and the team – we have a local team – just made it to division 1 last week. Being able to partner with these initiatives like In the Paint is only going to make it better. We’re just trying to grow basketball in the continent as much as possible and all around the world.

ALM: What is it about sports (basketball) that keeps you coming back? How important, in your own perspective, is sports in character and career development?

JN: Well, I think that basketball gave me the opportunity to live out my dream, so I think that these are things that kids can really explore on the continent. I think we’re still in the early stages when it comes to basketball. So the more we can highlight basketball and put the light on basketball, the more the kids will be inspired. And the more we grow the game, the more opportunities will come for people on the continent. I think that’s what it’s all about.

ALM: So apart from the opportunities, how do you think basketball can help with career development and personal improvement on the continent for our people? 

JN: I think that basketball is not only about becoming a professional basketball player. It’s the whole ecosystem around it that you can learn from. The values from the game are so important. The team building — you know, when you’re working for a company, you’re not going to be alone, it’s not just going to be your thoughts. So, it’s about teaching people how to work together, so I think that using sports to build communities makes so much sense because it’s the ultimate unifier. When I think of the top unifiers, I think of music and I think of sports. So, not everybody is going to be a musician, not everybody is going to be an artist, not everybody is going to be a top basketball player, but the values you can get from it can help you in the next endeavour.

ALM: Now that you’ve put it this way, with the basketball team you’re building in Cameroon, what are the things you’ve seen that make you think, ‘this was a good thing to do?’

JN: Well, I just see the growth; I see the talent is growing. I see it’s going to be the year for the NBA Africa league, so I see the top players playing on the continent, on government investment. I see government investment in different countries: Congo is building stadiums; Rwanda just built a beautiful stadium, Senegal – the NBAs just made a big investment with the academies. Our goal is to build an academy in Cameroon.

So I just see basketball really growing on the continent. Not only can we bring the people together through basketball, but I think that we can also add workshops and really localise some of the things to make the communities better. I think a great way to do it is to bring the youths into sports initiatives.

ALM: Sometimes we focus too much on the players, forgetting that there is an entire ecosystem: you have the referees, you have the coaches, you have the physiotherapists and all of that. What are the plans for people like that to come and support the court and actual players?

JN: Well, I’ll give you an example. There is a kid in Cameroon who really had the ambition and dreams to play in the NBA. So he was posting videos of him playing basketball. And he would go viral all the time because of the structures which were very limited. And he was doing whatever it takes. We were able to use him as an influencer in the BAL and utilise his platform to kinda help grow the sport [locally].

So I think what is beautiful is the relationships that you build during these community events, and then you can incentivise the kids as well: OK you guys come in, this is more than just a basketball tournament. We are not here to find an NBA player. This is about building and coming together, having a good time, and seeing what kinds of relationships you can make out of it.

ALM: What was the one principle you applied while playing professionally that you can say contributed greatly to your success?

JN: I think a line I always go with is, “Humble yourself or the game will humble you” because a lot of the time, people come and think they’re the best because they’re the best in their region but you’re always going to find somebody who is better than you. You’re always going to be in a position where somebody might dunk on you and embarrass you on the court. But you have to move back quickly. So it’s important to have a humble soul and just live in the moment.

ALM: So what is one special moment you look back and think, “I’m glad that I did that?”

JN: Well, I was just saying that when I built my court in Cameroon this is something that took a long time, that was not easy, you know, just bringing all the resources from America and bringing it to Cameroon and getting that kind of access was very hard. But, when it got done, to be able to go home – see, the court is near my grandmother’s school that she had built 65 years ago, still going on today – it’s something I’m very proud of. This is my responsibility. I was able to build a court, my father was able to build a tennis court, and my grandmother built a school … this is all part of our roots and our tradition.

ALM: What is it about the In the Paint and all these collaborations that made you think it is a good fit for you?

JN: I think that this initiative with In the Paint and Hennessy makes a lot of sense to me. Art and sports are the main things about my foundation. So I think this initiative makes a lot of sense because I see them using local artists to build the courts, and expression is something that is very important for us. So I just think this partnership came very organically. I’m really excited to go to the court today and feel it out and see the vibes and then we go from there because at the end of the day, I work with the NBA and to have a partnership like this that focuses on sports and arts. It was just a no-brainer.

ALM: Are you an artist in any way? Do you draw, do you paint? Do you sculpt?

JN: My mother is an artist. My initiatives were a lot in the city of Chicago, so my mum does sculptures with the kids; it’s art therapy. And I understand how therapeutic sports and arts can be. I really believe in these core values, and I think that’s why I’m here.

ALM: What is the toughest challenge you faced in your basketball career? How did you overcome it?

JN: Honestly, there were a lot of highs, and there were a lot of lows. It was a career that I wouldn’t trade for anything — you know, I played at the highest level against Lebron James and Giannis and all these great players. I also played with the youngest MVP, Derrick Rose, playing for one of the most prestigious teams in the world, the Chicago Bulls, but it wasn’t easy. There were suspensions and some tough moments: losing is hard sometimes. You know, I was a very emotional player and it’s tough. While I was playing, I didn’t sleep well throughout my whole career. I sleep a lot better now!

ALM: What do you think would be a natural progression on the continent now with what Hennessy is doing?

JN: I think the progression is happening. Infrastructure is very important; they’re building sustainable models where we can follow up and make sure the kids are getting the right coaching. I think that that’s something that is great. But for me, this is my first day working with Hennessy so I’m not over here trying to say what we should and shouldn’t do. For me, I just want to be here and pay attention and see where I can make myself the most helpful as possible.

ALM: Is this your first visit to Nigeria? What has your experience been like so far?

JN: Yes, this is my first visit to Nigeria and I’m really excited to be here. I’ve spent a lot of time in Cameroon and this is the country down below. But when I think of Nigeria, I think of Lagos; I think of Fela Kuti and I really hope we have enough time while I’m here to go check out the shrine.

ALM: What are your 3 favourite cities in Africa and why?

JN: I mean, I’m going to definitely say Yaoundé first because Yaoundé is … that’s my root and my heritage. You know, I kinda have a few spots over there that I know where to go to and see my friends.

I love going to Dakar, I think Dakar is a beautiful, beautiful city. We were also able to bring some kids from Chicago on our last trip over there. We went to Gorée Island and I think that was a really powerful trip for the youths … for them to feel their roots and their heritage even though they’re not sure exactly where. It is definitely empowering so I was very proud of the Dakar trip.

And Kigali. We just came back from Kigali. Kigali is a beautiful, beautiful place, the heart of Africa. We went to see the gorillas as well. You know, a vibrant city, but a little more chill. I think that Nigeria has a lot more action, a much faster tempo but I’m used to it.

And you know, I love Morocco as well. There’s so much to see.

Complete the following sentences

If it wasn’t basketball … I think I would have enjoyed coaching or being a part of working in a community centre with kids. I love working with kids.

I cannot go into a meeting without … talking points!

I cannot leave home without … my debit card.

My favourite thing in the world to do is … to chill on the beach.

‘In Conversation with’ by ASPIRE Luxury Magazine celebrates stars, influencers, celebrities and public figures, shining a spotlight on their lives and the incredible stories they have to share.

The post In conversation with Joakim Noah, Former NBA All-Star and Global Ambassador, Hennessy In The Paint first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post In conversation with Joakim Noah, Former NBA All-Star and Global Ambassador, Hennessy In The Paint appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

Cleo Anderson is busy as always. The founder of The Anderson Media Group was recently declared the ‘Broadcast Media Host and Producer of the Year’ in the Influential Businesswoman Awards 2023, just as she wrapped up filming in St Barth – the latest location for her show on LUXE.TV, Wanderluxe with Cleo Anderson.

And she is not done. Her multiple roles as travel expert, PR guru, TV host and producer mean that she has to constantly be on the move in search of some of the most glamorous yet hidden locations in the world for her clients. Some of which are/have been Monte Carlo SBM; the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Ms Anderson is the ‘Luxury Travel Curator of the Everyone Wins Goodie Bag’ dished out to the top 25 Oscar nominees each year), and now, LUXE.TV.

We caught up with Cleo in between her travels to talk about her work and views on luxury travel, amongst other things.

In Conversation with Cleo Anderson begins now …

ALM: Why have you declared St Barth the ‘world’s most luxurious island?’

CA: St Barth is such an iconic location and has a long history of attracting those who love laid-back chic as well as the jet set – it really is a jewel of the French Caribbean. The island is lush with nature and beautiful beaches, but you also have fantastic shopping in Gustavia and some really wonderful iconic landmarks in terms of eating out and places to stay.

In the show (Wanderluxe with Cleo Anderson) we featured three stunning villas courtesy of Saint-Barth Paradise. I enjoyed dinner and drinks at Eden Rock, and I spent some amazing hours on some of the landmark beaches. Filming there really was a fantastic experience and I will no doubt visit again soon.

ALM: What, in your opinion, do you think luxury hospitality brands get wrong about what the 1% need in a vacation spot?

CA: I think the thing most people get wrong is what great customer service and attention to detail really is, because, for me, there are most definitely levels to it.

Often in hospitality, people think they are giving personal service by being polite – perhaps remembering your name – but they are not really seeing you or listening in any meaningful way. For me, what makes the difference is not just noticing a client or being polite, but actually acting on what you have noticed in a significant way.

One example of great customer service was during a recent visit to the Four Seasons Sultanahmet in Istanbul. I really couldn’t decide between sorbet or chocolate for dessert during a meal. I chose the sorbet and after I finished my meal, I realised that I was still craving chocolate. I playfully lamented my decision to my wonderfully attentive server and, to my surprise, he returned with a couple of pieces of gourmet chocolate – on the house. It is these personalised touches that truly make an experience special and memorable, and making a client feel seen where many servers would have simply sympathised politely and brought me my bill. That feeling of really feeling ‘seen’ and catered to is what I think the 1% is looking for.

ALM: What are some emerging trends in luxury travel that should be talked about more?

CA: Obviously artificial intelligence (AI) is a big conversation right now: in terms of luxury travel, that equates to more detailed hotel booking where you can customise room size and check-in times, for example. Face recognition and voice recognition at airports for added security will become more prevalent, I believe. I also feel that luxury trains will become more popular – this is something that I’m really interested in, and I’m currently planning a couple of epic train trips in both Europe and North America. I’m looking forward to these unique experiences.

ALM: What, so far, are your favourite vacation spots and why?

CA: Athens is a favourite — I really enjoy places that have a sense of history to immerse myself in, and Athens has historical landmarks that you can see from almost every vantage point in the city. Juxtaposed with that you have the Athens Riviera. It’s very close to the city centre but is also a stunning beach destination that many don’t really know about.

I loved Miami, it has a South American vibe in terms of the music, food, colours, and beautiful weather. It is a really fun spot to go to with a group of friends.

Borneo was a wonderful destination to explore, as I am big on nature and wildlife. Tracking in the rainforest and searching for Orangutans was really beautiful.

The Maldives is another favourite spot. I love being surrounded by water, and the colour of the Indian Ocean is magnificent. I loved being in an overwater bungalow: at night you can feel the bungalow swaying in the water. Being there feels decadent [because] you have space and time to deeply relax.

ALM: What are some vacation spots that are best visited alone in your opinion? Which ones are best visited in company with others?

CA: For me, when it comes to city breaks I actually enjoy doing them alone. You can do your own thing and discover museums and hidden gems on foot and at your own pace. Athens, Barcelona, Lisbon and Rome are all great for getaways like that. Then the party places, like Miami and Tokyo, are wonderful to do with company as your senses are heightened and there are just so many things to do.

ALM: What unusual luxury spots have you been to?

CA: Cappadocia in Turkey. The terrain is so unique and special and the hotel was a cave-like haven with views of hot air balloons floating up into the sky in the mornings.

ALM: What do you look out for when searching for a place to stay?

If I can get an iconic view that reflects the place I am in, that’s always a plus. If that is not a possibility, I love an elegant room. I usually like a mixture of contemporary and traditional furnishings and gorgeous interior design. Customer service is also really important to me, and I will always look at the reviews to see how other travellers have been treated by staff.

ALM: What are some challenges you’ve faced in your travels? What did you do about them?

CA: I have to be honest – my travel experiences are typically great. I did, however, face a challenge with retrieving luggage when I arrived in St Barth’s earlier this year and it was the first time I have ever lost my luggage! Thankfully, the staff at the hotel where I was staying went above and beyond to track my luggage down and ensured that I received it a day later. There had been an issue at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.

ALM: According to the news, you’ve put together unique travel destinations for top Oscar nominees. What do you look out for when making these selections?

CA: I’m definitely looking for something glamorous and unique. We have worked with lighthouses that have been transformed into hotels, for example, and we definitely have the glamour factor this coming year with a selection of high-end luxury villas in St Barth. I also tend to look at locations; what are the locations that perhaps Oscar nominees might want to visit? This year, aside from St Barth, we have also been looking at Sri Lanka and Berlin.

This past year we had a client with an ultra-modern compound in the middle of nowhere (in Dunrobin, Canada), which was a fantastic addition to the gift bag.

ALM: What is the one thing/principle you’ve applied over and over again that has helped to keep you successful in your line of work?

CA: Remaining positive and expecting good things. The power of positive expectation is key. I believe in asking for what you want and expecting that you will attract the right people to help you with that mission. Resilience is a must in business too: you will always find blocks in the road, but it’s about pushing past them and finding another way.

ALM: What would you like to see more in Africa to make it a top travel destination?

CA: I think that more unique luxury hotels in unique places that showcase the beauty that Africa has would be fantastic.

ALM: What do you think non-Africans need to experience here on the continent to make Africa a top travel destination?

I think that non-Africans have to be made more aware of the beautiful things to see throughout Africa, and the experiences that maybe they are not yet aware of. African countries that have got this really right in terms of branding are Kenya, with their safari experiences; Namibia, with its stunning desert; and, Egypt with its obviously iconic pyramids. Ensuring that other African spots showcase what they have may come from a more focused PR and marketing push, for example, with the visuals being at the centre of everything. With social media tools like Instagram, everything is more visual these days and people can’t be aware of something they know nothing about. More awareness of what to see and do would be great.

‘In Conversation with’ by ASPIRE Luxury Magazine celebrates stars, influencers, celebrities and public figures, shining a spotlight on their lives and the incredible stories they have to share.

The post In Conversation with Cleo Anderson, Luxury Travel Expert and Founder, The Anderson Media Group first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post In Conversation with Cleo Anderson, Luxury Travel Expert and Founder, The Anderson Media Group appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

Whilst the subscription/retainer-based models are popular today, the concept is not. This form of health care is also about to become more popular, states Dr Chichi Menakaya, founder of Annomo Health, a UK-based global concierge medicine company.

“Personalised healthcare and wellness is here to stay.”

“I think that’s where medicine is going anyways. It’s all about personalised health care and wellness in the whole world at the moment.”

“I was always the person that people would call and say, ‘I want to go and see a doctor in London. Do you know anyone I can see?’ And then I would do that,” Dr Menakaya said during our conversation. But then I think what really made me start the business was when a few years ago – like 13 years ago, that was when the dream started – I had a relative that was in the UK and he had to see a particular doctor. So I went in, found someone I thought was the best person to see [and] referred them to that person. This relative even though they were paying cash to the doctor, turned up 15mins late to that appointment, and the doctor refused to see them even as they were coming from abroad. So what the hospital did was find the next available [doctor] and refer him to the person. And even though the person he was referred to had the best manners, did really, really well; when it now came to their surgical option, what that person offered them was not the best practice option. So they offered them an open surgery when there was already a robotic option for the surgery. What then happened – because obviously, I am a doctor, so I can easily detect – [I realised] that this is not the right thing for this person, because there is more advanced treatment.”

“I was upset so I found the best surgeon to handle the surgery, who also happened to be on the queen’s medical team. The day we eventually went to that appointment with the relative, this professor, even though he is one of the best in the UK, came downstairs to welcome the patient. And for me, that was literally an eye-opener, because it meant that although you could get the best, their manners are also very important.”

“And after that time, I said to myself, ‘I need to start a place where people can get the best care that they need.’ A lot of people are coming from abroad and they can afford it. They get given some mediocre doctor just because they think you’re coming from [another country]. They’re going to get you the cheapest doctor for the hospital … while the hospital is making the most money.”

“And obviously, there is another story to it about other people saying to me, ‘Listen: let’s get this done as a business, right?’ But I think that is the reason, like for me, I just wanted to make sure people got the best care that they needed. And I think that story is actually what triggered me to get in. And … literally 2 years later, we got the business up and running.”

“Medical concierge is not health insurance.”

Starting any business is difficult, and even though it’s in the health industry, Annomo Health was not without its challenges in the beginning.

“I think the biggest challenge I faced starting the business was explaining to people that Harley Street does not mean everything on Harley Street is good. I think that is [still my biggest challenge]. Because everyone comes to the UK and goes, ‘Oh my doctor is on Harley Street’, and I am like ok yeah, whatever. There are people in Harley Street that don’t know what they’re doing and I don’t want to use that word exactly, but there are people that are not that great and they’re on Harley Street.”

“What was also difficult for us is explaining to people that a concierge company is not an insurance company. Every time I have a meeting, no matter how educated they are, they say to me, ‘Is it health insurance?”

“Someone would say ‘I am coming from Nigeria, and I just want to see anybody because it is better than Nigeria.’ But that is not the point. The point is that they’re not doing it for you for free. Therefore, what you need to be asking for is ‘I want to see the best person because I am going to spend money seeing that best person. So it does not matter whether it’s me … it’s best to see the best person. And I think that is really difficult to explain to people. And as a company, we are still explaining that every day.”

“Concierge medicine is … having an advocate in your corner … constantly fighting for your health”

So, what exactly, in layman’s terms, is concierge healthcare, at least through the lens of Annomo Health?

“So I think there are very simple ways to explain Annomo Services, right? What Annomo Services does is simple: all we want to do is put the patient first. And all we want to do is get the private patients to see the best doctors, be treated in the best hospitals and have access to the best technologies. That’s all. And literally, we want to introduce them to the doctors’ doctors and make sure they are treated the way they need to be treated and get value, not just because of the money they have, but also because they’re using their money to get the best out of the service. That’s a summary of what we do.”

“I think for a lot of people, especially Africans, we see health as something we have to think about when it gets bad, but that’s the whole idea of having preventive medicine: you don’t have to wait till you’re sick. I think we’re getting to a point where people would need to start thinking that what they need to spend the most money on is making sure their health is right, and every other thing is secondary.”

“I think at some point we will get there obviously because it is like a learning process, everybody is trying to understand that and that is what we’re trying to do all the time by saying to people, ‘listen, make your health your priority.’ and that’s just the truth. I think that for every single person, whether you’re a child, an adult, you’re old, a concierge is important for everybody; personalised health care is for everyone: it’s not like for anyone in particular.”

“At Annomo Health, it is not all about money”

While we say concierge medicine is for everybody, in reality, not everyone can and would have access to it. There are various reasons why this would happen, with finance being top of the list, but according to Dr Chichi, this is not even always the case.

“When I say concierge is not about money, people don’t understand me sometimes. We had a pregnant, one-off client who wanted us to provide her with accommodation amongst other services. But, unless you have a maternity package where we’re constantly looking after you, it is a one-off service: we get you to the [OB/GYN who] is going to look after you and your baby. We settle you in and we walk away.”

“But because the woman was coming with a child [and] had no assistance … we offered to give a complimentary concierge service for free. [Unfortunately] from day one that she arrived, it was all abusive, everything was wrong [and] we could never make her happy. And trust me, it wasn’t the hormones. So we then discontinued the complimentary service that we had offered her, and we did instead hand her over to her gynaecologist to look after her.”

“I know this sounds a bit arrogant for us, [but] we don’t care how much you’re bringing into the business. If the relationship is not working we will refund. And we refunded all her money, to be honest. We refunded every single service that she had paid for, and let her gynaecologist look after her while we just hovered to make sure she was ok.”

There’s another instance where Annomo Health could decide not to extend its concierge services to a client. “If we look at [the medical reports we get from the patient’s country]  and think that making an out-of-country trip is a waste of time for the family in terms of the prognosis, whether they’re in the UK, in Nigeria, Ghana, wherever else; we will call the family and advise them not to come abroad because it is a waste of money. Because what you don’t want is people spending all this money and the outcome is still the same. Over the last 10 years, we’ve turned down about maybe 5 patients. Maybe more than that actually … it’s us saying that we don’t think it is going to work.”

“People think [personalised healthcare] is a luxury service, [but] it actually saves you a lot of money”

Speaking about membership tiers and benefits at Annomo Health, Dr Chichi clearly states that, “at the moment, we have 5 tiers of membership for the private members club. One is called the ‘travelling membership’ and it gives access to health care in both the UK and the US, including emergency services in the US. And it is actually only available to travelling executives through their companies; it is not for individuals.”

“Then we have the ‘individual membership’, the ‘family membership’, the ‘corporate membership’ and also something called the ‘student membership’. In each of those memberships, there are different cadres of membership. So it starts out with silver to gold to platinum and something called bespoke. And literally what bespoke means is you handpick what services you want, depending on what you want.”

“The family membership at the moment is actually for a husband and a wife, or a couple with 2 children, and the children are add-ons. When you come to corporate membership, it is also for high-level executives. The company has to have at least 3-10 members to be able to access this package. And obviously, each time you add a different person, you get a bit of a discount. And these memberships are targeted at preventative medicine and also give you access to having a personalised doctor, your own personal nurse and a personal health consultant … which means in this case a concierge health consultant who basically can do stuff like your luxury concierge for you, and also do your health things and be your advocate. But then you have a doctor you can call anytime, text, [and] message when you are really stressed out, whatever you want to talk about. And then also you have a nurse that can go out to you.”

“Then we have something called the student membership. Literally, the student membership is for people based in the UK only. And what that does is that if your child is here on private education, we have a pediatric consultant that actually looks after the students. Of course, depending on their ages: if they are more than 18, they don’t have a paediatrician, they now have a general practitioner that looks after them. And again, it’s a personalised service so they can hold them when there is a problem, give them advice, come out and visit them, whatever they want to do and it’s just a yearly membership for the kids also. Because obviously, when kids are abroad, you want to make sure that they are having the best care that they can get.”

“The other thing I didn’t mention with the corporate membership is that we also offer them health education services a few times a year depending on what they want, and this is training people on things like stress management, how to cope with workload, and masterclasses that we do for an hour just to support them. And like I said, each of these memberships can be made bespoke. We have families with three wives, four children: they can just pick what they want and create a personalised package. Because … there is no one fit for everybody in medicine we’ve tried make sure that people can handpick what they want and mix and match, till they get what they need.”

“Now I think that I spoke about the health bit of the membership, but what I forgot to mention is the luxury concierge that comes with it also. So, with the membership, you get access to a concierge assistant who literally would do all the other things you need them to do for you. So if they have to do personal shopping for you, airport pickups [they’ll do it]. Some people might say to me, ‘Listen, I need someone to come and help me pack my bags because I’m travelling’: they can do that also for them.”

“And that’s it, that’s just how it works. That’s the membership..in a nutshell.”

“Concierge Medicine is like having health care in your pocket and walking around with it”

It may appear that concierge healthcare involves moving from one point to the other in search of excellent healthcare. But actually, this is not the case. This niche in medicine is only concerned with one thing: giving the patient real value for their money. And while it may involve travelling, especially if the options the patient seeks are not close by, it does not mean concierge health care cannot be local.

“While we do not offer our services in every single country we can localise our services in the client’s home country. So I’ll give you an example: the services we offer in Nigeria are mostly rehabilitation. If someone has had an operation in the UAE, if they go back to Nigeria, we have a team of people that would manage their aftercare, including a doctor that would go out to see them.”

“And we do that a lot with cancer patients because chemotherapy is really expensive in the UK. So someone comes to the country because they have lymphoma, they come to the UK, they have all their scans done, [and] we do a treatment protocol for them that says they need chemo for 6 weeks. Doing chemo in the UK would cost like, I don’t know, 70,000 pounds. But in Nigeria, it may cost 4 million naira. We would plan the treatment plan in the UK, they would go back to Nigeria. We would find a professor in oncology that can give them the chemo in Nigeria, [and] when they need to have their scans or follow up, [they] come back to the UK to see their professor [who has all the while been] speaking to the one in Nigeria.”

“So we do those types of services for people in their home countries to 1) help them with cost. 2) to help them be able to stay around loved ones when they’re being treated. But they are really handpicked cases, we don’t do it for every single service. The only other way we also do it is that sometimes we’ve flown doctors from here to like Nigeria; we’ve done that a lot with UAE. So we fly doctors from here to go do operations in those countries for patients. So like somebody can say, ‘Listen, I’m in Dubai. I don’t really want to come to the UK, I don’t want to be treated in the UK.’ Because we have partner hospitals we work with, we fly a surgeon from the UK to do the operation for them, because obviously, they can do it in their home country. We have a lot of that also.”

Annomo Health has shown that concierge medicine is clearly a fantastic option for just about anyone seeking more flexible and effective healthcare. But potential subscribers should beware: it is not entirely flexible.

“So let me be honest with you: we’re really not that flexible. We’re very, very strict with rules, not because we’re difficult, but because there is regulation for different things. And we have to be strict about the regulations.”

“Concierge healthcare can work in Africa”

Can concierge medicine become ubiquitous in Africa? Dr Chichi thinks so.

“Actually, we were planning to offer the same services in Nigeria in 2019, [but] then the pandemic happened. And I think Nigeria is the first market for it; that’s my honest opinion. I think it would work in Nigeria: you just have to get it round people’s heads to do it. And I think in the future, yes we will. For me, my ultimate goal is to make sure healthcare in Africa is better and to be honest, I don’t like people coming abroad for healthcare. When I say it, people don’t believe me. What I want is that if Nigeria had those services, then we should be able to utilise them in Nigeria.”

“The problem we have in Nigeria is that people think that nice-looking hospital means they know what they’re doing. It’s all about handpicking people and I know that there’s a lot of groups now in Nigeria saying we can do this. The problem I worry about is … we need to have regulations, we need to have policies in place that actually censor what people are doing. But I think we’re getting there because I am now seeing court cases in Nigeria won by families because doctors screwed up. And I think it is really important because these are human beings. We need to be asking questions.”

“And I think healthcare in Nigeria is fantastic, I think Nigeria has a lot of experienced and seasoned doctors. But I think that we need to put in rules and good regulations to be able to sieve out [the rest]. Like if I was sick in Nigeria, I would go to the teaching hospitals easily, I won’t even be worried because I know that they are very good at what they’re doing. But people don’t see that … there are very good doctors in Nigeria; I know a lot of them and I have spoken to a lot of them.”

“Annomo Health is taking concierge medicine to Turkey”

What then is next for Annomo Health?

“Turkey.”

“So I think we’re going to do business in Turkey. It’s going to take us like one or two months to set it up because there is so much that needs to be done. We’re going to send a few people as [part of a] pilot and then get our board’s approval.”

But of course, expanding any business comes with its unique sets of challenges and learning curves.

“I think scaling the business part is easier because of the people we want to try and get. I think one of our biggest challenges is 2 things.”

“For a long time, you know pre-pandemic, we ran membership by invitation only. Now, there is a one-off service but initially, when we started, we struggled to ensure that we were not offering the same service to people in this category because we were used to our premium healthcare packages. 

“Now that we are scaling even further, we want to be able to ensure that we never dilute the brand or make a mistake with the brand. Because if you’re going to expand and go into new markets, you need to have better options that offer wider, more varied payment options. So not everybody can afford the very expensive people that we work with, but some other people can. We’re trying to navigate that by opening up other countries that are more affordable. We would never stop working with the best people, right? And obviously, the best people cost more money, but what we could do is get the best people in places where the entire health service is cheaper. And that is what we are trying to do. But it’s a bit hard sometimes to navigate all of that.”

Dr Chichi Menakaya: the human behind Annomo Health Services

I cannot leave home without

“My mobile phone and my Macbook. If I don’t have my Macbook my life is not normal.”

I cannot go into a meeting without

“My Macbook. I love it so much, it’s like my best friend. It’s so bad, my Macbook sleeps on my bed.”

A typical day for me would be

“Fun with a bit of stress, and also exciting. I normally get up about 5:30am. If I am operating on that day, I am at work at 7, just to see my patients. Then I operate the whole day: my operating days are an all-day operating day. If I have a clinic day, then it’s not really that busy. But in between, I could have a business meeting or meetings with people. I also love watching movies, that really helps me relax. And I say my prayers and I go to sleep and the next day starts.”

“It’s always different every day. Sundays I do less business work. I spend a lot of time with family over the weekend, in the evenings mostly. My weekends are also full of business meetings for the businesses.”

What are your 3 absolute best cities to visit?

“Paris – it is the love of my life. I’ve been about 1 billion times a year.”

“South Africa – I love South Africa a lot. I’ve been to Cape Town which I really loved.”

“Sicily – I’ve never been to Sicily but Sicily is like the love of my life also. And I am not going to go to Sicily till a special time.”

My most expensive buy is

“I have to confess: I am addicted to shoes and bags. I buy a lot of shoes and bags, like you don’t even want to know. But the most expensive thing I own is a wristwatch I have. It’s nothing that anyone uses. It’s an Italian brand and it’s got real diamonds in it. I can’t remember the name, but I bought it in Italy like 12 years ago. I bumped into Milan and I bought it.”

What are 3 things most people don’t know about you?

“I have a relationship commitment phobia.”

“Even though people think I’m very confident, I still get scared when I have to do a presentation, but people don’t see that. They only see the fact that I am so confident when I’m doing it but deep down I’m scared. I don’t want it to go wrong. But once I say my name, the fear leaves me. My mum used to say to me, you need to remember who you are, whose child you are. So whenever I say my name and hear my name, it makes me remember who I am and it helps me take away that fear.”

“My best friend when I was a child was a dog called Oscar. Till I was 21, my best friend was Oscar, but he died of hepatitis.”

If you were not a doctor, what would have been a natural career path for you?

“It would have been one of multiple things. My natural career path would have been to do charity or missionary work. I love meeting new people because I think life is all about your relationships, your network with people. And I feel like if you can make one person smile if you can take away pain from one person, it works. That’s why I did medicine in the first place.”

“Two, I would have wanted to do fashion which I still do as a doctor. I design clothes. The other thing I would have really wanted to do is business full-time, like buying and selling or owning a shop.”

The post ASPIRE CEO: Dr Chichi Menakaya is Delivering the Ultimate Concierge Medicine Experience first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post ASPIRE CEO: Dr Chichi Menakaya is Delivering the Ultimate Concierge Medicine Experience appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

Lupita’s decision to work with De Beers was influenced by more than the beauty of diamonds or the feeling it evokes in those who love them: she explained that the brand’s Building Forever project, which has goals to engage 10,000 girls in STEM, support 10,000 women entrepreneurs, and to invest at least $10 million across southern Africa by 2030 was what attracted her to it.

“Their focus on creating opportunities for women and girls in southern Africa is an effort clearly very close to my heart,” says Nyong’o, who has in the past been involved in various philanthropy work across the continent with organisations such as Mother Health International (MHI), a nonprofit organization in Uganda that provides healthcare to pregnant women in underdeveloped countries.

For De Beers, their collaboration with Nyong’o is a perfect fit. “With her rare magnetism and elegance, Lupita Nyong’o is a testament to the power of boundless possibilities,” says De Beers’ CEO Marc Jacheet, “Embodying modern and responsible luxury, Lupita is an inspiration for all of us. De Beers is proud that Lupita has joined our Building Forever commitment to people and the planet and we stand with her as she embarks on an exciting chapter in her career.”

As part of her partnership with De Beers, Lupita starred in the fine jewellery label’s new “Where It Begins” campaign which debuted on October 24. In it, she sports pieces from the label’s Enchanted Lotus collection, walking with the diamonds from discovery to their transformation into jewellery.

Like De Beers, Lupita Nyong’o understands how jewellery can capture our attention and wrap itself around our lives. “I typically wear a chunky ring or a yellow gold hoop earring in my daily life,” she tells Vogue. “I am a creature of habit, so once I find something that I love, I will wear it all of the time.”

The post De Beers has named its First Global Ambassador: Lupita Nyong’o first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post De Beers has named its First Global Ambassador: Lupita Nyong’o appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

Including here in Africa. Currently, the Business Development Director for the region Africa, Middle East and Global Travel Retail for Maison Moët & Chandon, Charles de Pontevès, is touring the continent following his appointment back in March 2021. We sat down with him when he came to Lagos to learn more about the Moët & Chandon brand and why it is loved globally.

In conversation with Charles de Pontevès begins now

ALM: Is this your first time in Africa?

CdP: It’s my first time in Africa … I started to really visit Africa early this year. I tried last year, but last year, with the COVID, it was very difficult to travel. I managed to go to Dubai in November 2021, you know, which is kind of different.

But since January, I visited South Africa, I visited Ivory Coast, Kinshasa, Israel. And today, Lagos – very, very happy to be here. And I need to continue to really understand as much as I can this beautiful diversity that you have in Africa. It’s completely fascinating, and I am really enjoying that very, very much.

ALM: In your role as Business Development Director AFME & GTR for Moët & Chandon, what have you found to be most surprising so far?

CdP: The way that the brand is understood in Africa amazes me. People are completely connected, especially in Nigeria. But also … you have this very strong link between the brand and people: there is an understanding of the quality, understanding of the image. And this is really spontaneous. There is an immediate connection both with Moët & Chandon and Don Perignon.

I could see that yesterday in Lagos – each time that we had a chat with people, there is this very strong connection which for me is fantastic. And wine and food pairing, it works. History, everybody understands. Precision of the quality, everybody understands. This is amazing … and there is a fascination also about how these brands have evolved, have been created. So for me, it is a great surprise.

ALM: What inspired your career path?

CdP: At the very beginning of my professional career, I was into computers – nothing to do with wine – and I moved into champagne a bit by passion. I knew nothing, and I started in 1990 with Ruinart, which is a fantastic champagne house. And I learned really most of what I know today being on a daily basis with the serving master of Ruinart who taught me a lot about Ruinart, about champagne. And then I moved to Moet&Chandon and Don Perignon, and I continued to learn.

This world is in fact very complex and you don’t stop learning. And I believe that I really enjoyed very much discovering this world which is moving all the time, improving all the time, changing, becoming more and more complex. And it is also a world where you meet people, and I like to share, just like with you now (smiles). I really like to meet people, exchanging, sharing passion; we don’t necessarily always have the same point of view, but it is a world where you’re really connecting a lot.

ALM: Is there anything you still do not know about the brand?

CdP: Oh yes, there are so many things!

First of all thanks to … well, I think it’s good news for you. I am fortunately not in charge of making a bottle of wine. (we laugh) It is extremely complex. You have the choice of the grapes, how do you analyse them, then how do you blend them, Each step of the process is very technical, you know, up to the end of the process, where you’re adding a little dosage … and all that. These steps are very, very precise, and you need to be an expert to make that happen.

On the sales side, I am a little bit more knowledgeable; on the marketing side as well. But even so, I continue to learn every day. Today, for example, we’re very much into sustainability. We’re really paying attention on making sure that our soils are as clean as possible. We did not know 20 years ago that when we were adding products, fertilisers, sometimes it was not a good idea. Today we know that what we have done in the past sometimes was not really optimal.

For example, today, we’re putting ‘vertes’ between our vines – grass. Why? Because we discovered that the grass reduces the evaporation of the water and also grass reduces the erosion. Many of our vineyards are on slopes and 90% of our own vineyards today are [covered] with grass. Of course, we need to work a bit more in order to ensure that the grass is not growing to eat too much of the food which is for our vineyard.

This is a recent discovery and we keep discovering new things. And I think that as long as all the people on our team continue to be passionate, we will progress, slowly, but we will progress.

ALM: Which of the Moët-Hennessy brands would be the best for a new convert?

CdP: Ehrrr, Moët &Chandon (we laugh)

And now, I am going to explain to you why. Moët &Chandon … the vision of Moët &Chandon is to propose champagne for every palate and every moment of consumption. So, in fact, the number of qualities that we have is extremely large. It goes from Moët Imperial which is a fantastic brut, but it is a brut which is very versatile, very easy to drink. Because we are blending one-third, one-third, one-third basically – chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot Meunier – and as a result, the champagne is not aggressive, it is very round, it is very smooth when you drink it. It has some aromas – white flowers, citrus notes – but you can drink it for brunch, you can drink it during your lunch, you can drink it for an aperitif, you can drink it at night. You’ll never have a headache with Moet Imperial. And if you like this brut style, it’s very very nice. It is not too rough, we don’t put too much pinot noir, we don’t put too much chardonnay which is another style. So it’s a very approachable quality [drink].

If you have a sweet tooth, you have Nectar Imperial with the dosage which is different. The notes that you will get are very much into tropical fruit notes like the pineapple, the mango, this direction. It is a completely different experience, but, if you like this kind of taste, it covers this palate. And Nectar Imperial is fantastic with spicy food. So, if you enjoy spicy food, you will enjoy Nectar Imperial.

This is why I am suggesting Moët & Chandon. You have the Rose Imperial, you have the Grand Vintage, you have Ice Imperial – if you prefer to enjoy champagne on ice, you take a bottle of Ice Imperial, you add 3 ice cubes and then you will still get also a different experience.

ALM: If you were not doing this, what would you be doing?

CdP: I’ve tried always to do something where I was passionate. And I am really passionate now with champagne, you know, it has been quite a long time. So, to quit champagne, I don’t know. I’ll probably continue to move in the direction of the wines, because I find that there is really a lot to still discover, both in Europe where we are producing wines — but we’re changing as well the way that we are approaching wines — and also in the new world wines. There are fantastic opportunities, so I don’t know.

Otherwise, computers, why not? Because you know, I was not bored, I just wanted to discover a new world, But I believe that my first direction would be wines or perhaps hospitality because I also enjoy very much meeting people, sharing passions … You’re helping me discover what I could do next! (we laugh)

ALM: What are the 3 largest misconceptions about your job?

CdP: I would say that because we’re always sharing, enjoying celebratory moments, perhaps, sometimes, we give the impression that this is an easy job. And also, we’re always having a good mood, we smile, we laugh and this is normal because the moment is one of celebration. In reality, I believe we are also very precise, very serious, and that is something that people don’t necessarily see. On the other hand, I think – who said that? – the people who never smile are not necessarily serious people. So, we like to do very, very well: we’re passionate about what we do, but we do it with a smile.

We can be perceived probably sometimes as a bit artificial? Then, there is a second dimension of which we are very careful. This is the link with the alcohol. You can enjoy our champagnes without being drunk. As a consequence … we don’t want young people especially to become drunk. So we have lots of programmes to educate our younger ones. We do that through hotel schools, but also through lectures in universities or écoles or schools in order to explain that you can really enjoy your bottle of wine, your bottle of Don Perignon with really one glass, two glasses…

And we organise radio rallies, presentations, lectures[and] tastings with these young ones in order to educate them. We also organise events in sometimes nightclubs. We educate as well, we distribute tests [breathalyser] to check if you can drive or not. And there is internally … we have a lot of control … because we really don’t want to associate our champagnes … we don’t want to associate our brands with exaggeration, consumption exaggeration.

And then, there’s perhaps a third point, since you asked me [for] three points. There is a perception that when you are a large champagne house like Moët & Chandon, it is a bit less qualitative. And in reality, in champagne, because of the fact that the vineyard is very much north, one harvest, we’re going to have fantastic grapes in this piece of vineyard, but the next harvest is going to be a disaster.

So, in order to really have a very high quality consistent year after year, you need to have supply from many, many different vineyards in champagne. And the larger the champagne house, the better. This is why we can achieve this quality with this volume because we have this very, very large source of supply. Either through our own vineyards – and then we own about 50% of what all the champagne houses own. The champagne appellation, it is 35,000 hectares. All champagne houses together own about 3,000 hectares, 10%. We own 1,200hectares, almost 50% of the total champagne houses. This is huge, you know. And when you add the vineyards owned by Veuve Cliquot, which is our first cousin, we are more than 50%, because Veuve Cliquot owns 450 hectares roughly.

So, as a group, we are really extremely strong with our vineyards, and we are actually showing the champagne region how to improve the culture of our vineyards because we are sharing of course, what we are discovering with everyone. So, to be big in champagne is a great advantage. And that is not necessarily understood because very often … you know sometimes small is beautiful, this is what we keep in mind very often. In champagne, it is not the case.

ALM: There have been lots of partnerships between luxury brands recently. If you were to pick an African luxury brand to collaborate with any of your own brands, which would you go with?

CdP: Nigeria (But what brand in Nigeria?) Nigeria is a brand (laughs) Nigeria is a fantastic brand: Nigeria and Nigerians. When I look at all the fantastic things you’re doing in Nigeria and outside Nigeria: I mean you have so many fantastic talents. There is a lot of creativity. And this is probably what also helps connecting (sic) Moët and Don Perignon with Nigeria. There is really an understanding; you have a lot of refinement in fashion. This is amazing. In cultural (sic), in art, you have a beautiful story. So all that creates wonderful touchpoints, contacts. You understand wine and food pairing intuitively.

We had a dinner yesterday evening, it was amazing… at least I enjoyed it very, very much. And so this is why I am saying Nigeria, because it goes in all directions. And you’re also extremely good in having great, young Nigerian students targeting the newest technologies. Somebody from our team recently decided to join Bitcoin technology. Fantastic, fantastic! This is why I don’t want to limit my answer to something too tiny because I would be unnecessarily restricted. This is why I said Nigeria.

ALM: How do you enjoy your champagne?

CdP: Oh, every day!

But how? I enjoy them at different times of the day with moderation. I enjoy them as an aperitif; I enjoy them by the beach; I enjoy them during lunch or dinner. And then I don’t only drink them; [but] really, I find you’re not tired. They have this style which is very nice because you can drink them on a regular basis without being tired. And I can tell you that [because] I have been 30 years in this area. So, I don’t drink them a lot, but I drink them regularly.

ALM: Do you find a difference in the way Africans consume your brand in comparison to the rest of the world?

CdP: There is more passion in Africa. There is an instinctive connection, There is a huge understanding of the complexities to produce Moët, to produce Don Perignon, and there is a huge respect behind it.

And then, there is a great connection in celebrating. With Don Perignon, [it is] a bit also a status symbol, you know, ‘I am going to have a lovely moment with my friends, I am going to celebrate something special, I take a bottle of Moët, I take a bottle of Don Perignon.’ This, in more mature countries, is not necessarily the case. There is this kind of ‘I love the brand,’ which is not necessarily as much the case in ehhrr, countries which perhaps drink Moët since longer time. (sic) There is intuitively an understanding in Africa, and in Nigeria in particular.

ALM: What are your 3 favourite African cities and why?

CdP: That’s a difficult question because in fact … before being in charge of Africa, I was in charge of France and before that, I spent 10 years in Belgium. Before that, I was in North America. So I don’t know yet very well the African continent.

I visited Johannesburg, I visited Abidjan, I visited Kinshasa and now Lagos. But, I love each of them completely, passionately. Because each time you have the history, you have the culture, you have a lot to discover. You have stars in the eyes of … or bubbles in the eyes of the people I meet, which is really energetic for me. It transmits a lot of passion and understanding of the brand. And so I want to continue to discover. And I will continue to travel a lot and come back to Nigeria. I really enjoy very much Lagos, but it is difficult for me to give you a definite answer because I need to visit more (African countries).

ALM: Do your products appeal to people as an alternative investment option?

CdP: I am sure that many people do it, especially with champagnes that you can age a bit. So the champagnes you can age are definitely Don Perignon, the Grand Vintage of Moët &Chandon. The Imperial range of Moët &Chandon is produced to be consumed in the next 3-5 years max.

But some people do … because you know, champagne is a wine I would say, ehrr … I hope that they are successful. We are producing our champagne to be consumed, I would say between 3 years for the Imperial range, up to 10-15 years for Don Perignon. It is not necessarily produced originally to be kept for a long period of time.

In fact, for a bottle of champagne, we’re taking out of the bottle just before being sold … we’re taking out the yeast, you know the sediment. So the evolution of a bottle of champagne is not like a bottle of wine. It’s going to be a lot slower, and you’re not going to gain – the ageing process is done in our cellars.

I’ll say yes, of course, you can buy some bottles; unfortunately, the price of the bottle is going up and up every year – so you can certainly capitalise a bit on that. I’ll be just careful… and I don’t want to give advice on something that I really don’t control: I am a bit careful about that.

ALM: Complete the following sentences

• I never leave home without…

CdP: Giving a huge hug to my wife.

• I never go into a meeting without…

CdP: Smiling. As I like to say… I think that if you go to a meeting with a [frown] you should cancel the meeting because you’re going to give a negative energy and it is going to be a catastrophe. So I like to transmit passion and be positive as well.

ALM: What are you doing in Nigeria for the next few days?

CdP: Oh, I have a huge program… meeting people, training, visiting as many points of sales to understand… But as it is, I am already fascinated by the way. So yea, meeting people, doing lunches, dinner, field visits, restaurants, to understand even more. Discovering also your beautiful cuisine cos I love it! I have a sensitive palate, so spices are not for me. But the chef understands so usually, they bring it down. But really, I enjoy it very much.

The post In Conversation with Charles de Pontevès, Business Development Director AFME & GTR, Moët & Chandon first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post In Conversation with Charles de Pontevès, Business Development Director AFME & GTR, Moët & Chandon appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

“What is Nigerian food exactly? I cannot say that I know. And that is the beauty of our cuisine. We have over 250 ethnic groups, and that means we have over 250 methods of cooking. It might be [that the] asaro from Ijebu is different from [the] asaro in Abeokuta. And those variations really open us up … and it also shows our similarities. We all eat native rice, we all eat zobo, (sic) we all eat asaro in different ways.”

“Nigerians, I think in some ways we can have a sense of unity but when it comes to our food, we can be a bit tribalistic. People are like, ‘Ah! Me I don’t eat amala: what is that black Yoruba food?’ You might think it is not your food, but have you tried it? Have you truly experienced it?”

I first met chef Moyo at the premier Atije Experience pop-up back in May. Like other diners, I was shocked to see everyday dishes take on new forms and different food items, that I would have sworn before that day could not be eaten together, appear on the same plate. For example, the sweet potato puree and the egusi. I have seen the odd mix – egusi and white rice, egusi and bread – but uziza-flavoured egusi and sweet potato puree? That was a definitely first, and the main reason why the Atije Experience exists.

“I think one of our primary goals is just to encourage Nigerians to enjoy our food in different ways. I think Nigerian, West African food, we kind of relegate it to home food, celebration food, but it is not like special food, it is not like fine dining,” explains chef Moyo. “It is like we can all cook rice, we can all do this, but I think it’s opening our minds – including myself – to see that Nigerian food has more potential.”

Since Awari, Ms Odunfa has gone on to host two other food tasting events – Asiri and Ajowa. For now, she is focused on these pop-ups, which happen every 4-6 weeks, rather than on opening or running a traditional restaurant. “I guess in a sense, [what I do] is not very common, but I think it is something that a lot of chefs do. Even if I were to open a restaurant, I don’t think it would be typical. I think I would still want to do like a set menu. We might have different types of set menus, maybe for different days, or maybe like lunch versus dinner … but I don’t think it will be the regular ‘oh, let’s choose something off the menu.’ I think we would still use this concept because I really enjoy doing it.”

Moyo may have fallen into some sort of routine for the culinary pop-ups at the Atije Experience, but the challenges she faces in bringing people together to discover Nigerian food in a whole new way have not abated in any way.

“Nigerians, we love our food [but] if I can just get people to come, that is usually the major [challenge]: convince people to just come. Once they come, we [can] have beautiful experiences together and … show [them] what we do. Because people can be a bit dismissive of Nigerian food like ‘Ah, we know it, we don’t want to go out and eat it.’ So, truly being able to convince people that this is a worthwhile experience for [them is] just something.”

“[In terms of putting together the menu for each experience] having to do a new menu every month can be challenging, it can be interesting, it can be exciting and balance is very key for us. And that is another thing that can be a bit tricky because … let me use Ajowa as an example. To me, I think when we think of asaro, a lot of times, we eat it with fish – smoked fish, dried fish. But initially, I wanted to do the dish with chicken because I wanted to use fish for the main course. But we had to switch that around because we realised that no, this dish is simply eaten with seafood, so we had to keep that there and change the main course to accentuate that. So, even when we start off thinking that this is what we want to do, we realise that no, there has to be balance, everything has to flow. You cannot give people a palate cleanser and then a very spicy and overpowering dessert – the palate cleanser would have had no effect at the end of the day. So, we really try and make sure that everything … makes sense even as a person is eating it.”

“[Lastly], having the faith to put out that menu actually [is another challenge we face]. Because, if I use Ajowa as an example again, the desert was zobo. And it went through so many iterations because we really tried … at the beginning, it kinda tasted like a palate cleanser because zobo can be very light, and we were thinking, ‘ok, how do we make this a dessert? Something that people would actually, you know, want to relish and it’s sweet and all that.’ And, even after the dessert was done, I wasn’t sure that it was the right thing. And people loved it! I couldn’t even believe it! So sometimes, it’s really just that courage to believe that what we’re doing is good enough. What we’re doing is worthy of being experienced. As much as I believe in Nigerian food … there’s a difference between ok I believe in Nigerian food and I believe in my own Nigerian food. Having that faith to say I am putting this out, and I am going to believe that people would enjoy it. I am going to make sure that it is good enough to be enjoyed. And I think with every menu – even menus that we have done before – sometimes it’s just to click that button to say ‘post’ that can be a daunting moment but so far so good, we’re making it work.”

But in the end, the entire process appears to be paying off on both sides. “I think people have been surprised. Sometimes when people come, they’re sceptical. And they say, ‘let’s just go, sebi it’ll be a nice time.’ [But they] are surprised at the amount of networking they have there at that long table because it can be daunting. [But] the ice actually breaks over time, and [they] are surprised that the food tastes how it tastes. Because, they think, you know, in Nigerian restaurants there is a lot of hype. There is a lot of glitz and glamour, and the food might not actually meet up to your expectations. So people are actually surprised that [the] food is actually nice, [it] tells a story and they learn. They go home with new information about Nigerian food. ‘Oh, I didn’t that that dawadawa and iru were the same. I did not know that native rice, Abakaliki rice is also the same as ofada rice but not just fermented’ So that knowledge really really makes a difference, I think.”

“I have [also] learnt a lot! I have learned the importance of having a full overview of this kind of event [which] has been really important. Because for me, I am a chef, but doing this kind of thing, I have to wear so many more hats: to be a sommelier and think about wine pairings; to be an events planner; to be logistics [manager] … everything, too many moving parts at every time and it has taught me the importance of teamwork.”

“When it comes to the kitchen, honestly speaking, it has taught me that there is really no boundaries. This last Ajowa menu, we were trying to play on ileya and ram, and we had to buy a whole ram, so that we could control the parts of the ram that we were cooking. And that for me was something I would have felt afraid of before, but once you set your mind to something, truly truly – and it might sound cliché – but you’ll do it if you have to do it and that just gives you more boldness and courage to do it another time.”

Chef Moyo may be intentional about reintroducing us to our food in ways we did not think possible, but for her, the Atije Experience is deeper than that. The Atije table is the foundation of relationships. And the success it has recorded so far has actually amazed her.

“The networking has surprised me. When people sit on a table, sometimes we’re really privileged to have someone who is like a very engaging person and just draws everybody in. I don’t know, especially Fridays, Fridays can be so … they don’t even want to listen to me talk anymore: they’re talking to each other, they’re sharing about their careers. One time, someone was even playing their song because she was like a musician. I’m so encouraged when I see everyone truly just connecting. And there was even a person who said someone was sitting opposite him at one dinner and he didn’t say a word throughout dinner and he thought ok, he didn’t really want to talk. Later on, he sent a message on LinkedIn saying, I met you here, I would like to connect. You know, and those things, they really, I don’t even know how to say it, they really bring me joy because … that thing of, we’re actually eating together. We can all sit on one table from different walks of life, different tribes, different languages, different cultures. We can all eat together and it has an effect on all of our lives afterwards.”

At the moment, chef Moyo is planning a new pop-up that is set to happen from the 23^rd to the 25^th of September. And this time, the experience is a bit special. “This time last year, we were in a competition called The Kitchen, Nigeria, and I think that was an opportunity to really test out the Atije concept in general, like in public. [Now] we’re bringing that menu back so that people that did not get to experience it then [can do so]. [We’re] bringing it back a bit better, revamping some of the recipes, rethinking them. But still bringing back the same stories and the same essence.”

“So this menu is Atije, literally the original Atije, meaning how we eat. We’re exploring in general how we eat as Nigerians … we have dishes from Calabar, dishes from the South West … things like abula, things like banga and we’re really just bringing … I think a lot of the dishes were really delicious, and we are trying to think of a way to bring it back even better and enable our guests who didn’t know about us then to try it out once again.”

Want to get a feel of what The Atije Experience is? Register for the upcoming pop-up at www.atije.com  or click on the link in the bio of the Atije Experience page on Instagram.

The post At the Atije Table, Chef Moyo Delivers an Elevated Fine Dining Experience first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post At the Atije Table, Chef Moyo Delivers an Elevated Fine Dining Experience appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

“I think that I conceived CRAWL when I started getting frustrated with the fact that there was not any information or correct phone numbers for different leisure and entertainment spots. Also, it became even more pressing during in the thick of the Covid-19 pandemic that travelling wasn’t fun anymore, and it was more important for us to take advantage of the local businesses and the different ‘touristy’ things that we could do in our own backyard.”

“And also just tired of everyone calling me and asking me where to go and what to do. So I just literally created some sort of directory and a social calendar that is now spreading and moving across different African states,” she had told us over a Zoom call.

It is now April 2022, the year and month Ms George-Taylor turns 40. In less than a year since we spoke, a lot has changed for the public relations expert and one of Nigeria’s top PR personalities. Her PR firm, Robert Taylor Media, turned 14 on September 25, 2021 – a feat by no means small if you consider all the challenges businesses face in a clime like ours.

She has been named Director of PR, Media and Communications for the African Association of Women in Tourism and Hospitality; has formed the first chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority in Lagos Nigeria, and is currently its first president, amongst other achievements.

The CRAWL app continues to grow and gain recognition as the go-to social site for Nigerians seeking the best spots to hang out and relax, and Bukky is constantly on the move, growing and seeking out new partnerships that make her media firm one of the best to work with in the country and the region.

As she steps onto life’s fourth floor with her signature elegance and style, we catch up once again with her to unravel Bukky – the woman. Ms George-Taylor is such a multifaceted individual that it would be hard to have her compress the last 39 years into a 1000+-word article. Therefore, to get as much as we possibly can here, we focus on the five facets – what we call the 5 Fs – that we think provide the best summary of who Bukky George-Taylor is.

On Food: “I cannot do without chicken”

I like a good breakfast, so, I am a pancakes-type of female. I like my sausages, I like my bacon, I like my eggs and I like a mimosa to top it off. So I do like breakfast.

My most memorable dish would have to be my grandmother’s Ofe-Nsala. My grandmother’s from Onitsha and she just makes the best Ofe-Nsala ever with pounded yam, and that would have to be my most memorable dish: I’ve always had that as a child and still enjoy it to this day.

Food that I cannot do without? I would have to say chicken: anyone that knows me knows I love chicken. As a matter of fact, if my friends go into a restaurant before me, they know to get me my chicken or chicken wings or anything chicken really.

One fine dining experience I cannot forget would have to be the launch of Kaly. The Kaly is actually one of my favourite restaurants that I have the pleasure of actually launching … with the owners … as their PR partner … so that would have to be my most memorable dining experience. It was an amazing evening, everything went really well, and I was super happy and I had fun and I worked at the same time… Goals.

What meal brings out the Michelin star chef in me? I would have to say when I’m about to grill. I’m really, really good with the oven and with grills, and so, that’s where it all happens.

On Fashion: “I can pretty much wear anything”

Fashioooon! … My go-to outfits for work and play… When I go to work and because I own my own business, I usually like to look professional so I would wear a blazer, some pants or a skirt. And when it’s time to play, I really, really have my own style and so, therefore, I dress depending on how I feel. So for example, this evening I’m going out with a group of friends, and I feel a bit ‘bummy’, so I’ll be giving them an oversized t-shirt, some sweatpants and ehrm, sneakers (chuckles).

I don’t think I’ve ever really had a fashion fail moment because again, I dress as I feel. And so, it might be a failure to the next person but to me, I’m in my comfort zone and I’m dressing exactly as I feel.

The most underrated fashion era in my opinion would have to be the 90s. The 90s had to be, or is for me, one of the best fashion eras that we have. We had the high-top sneakers, you know, with the cycling shorts; we had the overalls, we had the lumberjacks, timberland boots, chelseas, sanchos …  jellies… oh my goodness! The 90s is so dope, I think all that fashion should come back: I definitely want to wear a bandanna again.

Clothes I will not be caught dead in? Actually, I can pretty much wear anything: I just have to style it how I feel (laughs)

My most expensive style purchase would have to be my LV luggage.

Ehrrrrrr… actually I lie. No yea, I would say my LV luggage. I really don’t spend too much money on fashion: I go out quite a bit and everywhere, so I do very, very cheap clothing but then, of course, my accessories make a lot of sense. And I would rather buy both. Or a pink Vespa. And a pink helmet.

If I were to get lost in someone’s closet, who would it be? I would say RnB singer, Monica. I’m loving Monica’s style; it’s unlike anyone else’s style. It’s totally her style, which is what I’m very into: I think everyone should have their own unique style. So, If I was to jump into anyone’s closet, it’ll be RnB artiste from the 90s, Monica. Check out her Instagram page now: her style is popping.

On Faith: “I have the perfect attendance when I talk to God”

Well, I believe that God is real, I depend on Him for a lot of things. I may not be the… I may not have the perfect attendance at church, but I have the perfect attendance when I talk to God.

The one time your faith floundered badly? Ehrmmmm, I can’t really pinpoint any one time – I mean, it happens to all of us. But then again, you always notice that at the end of the day, God always comes through.

Why is my faith important to me? Because I do realise that I am a child of God and I do realise that I depend on God for a lot of things. And I do actually realise that God loves me very, very much: loves me, loves my friends, loves my family, loves everything that I have to do with. I’m super blessed, so of course, it would be very important to me. Ehrr …  without God, I’m not sure where I’ll be, honestly.

On Friendship: “I am very mindful of negative energy”

My friendship circle, as I’ve gotten older has become very, very deliberate, very intentional and super important.

I like to be surrounded by people who are very honest about who they are – honest about their flaws, about their imperfections, about their greatness and about their success.

I am also very … ehrm… or my circle is a very positive one. I am very mindful of negative energy: I really don’t want that in my space moving forward, so I have very, very interesting circles of friends and I don’t have just one circle because my friends are cut from different clothes and are all over the place. So, yeah, they are important: my circle is important.

What do I consider more important in business: friends or strong network? I would say a strong network. Your network can be your net worth.

What 3 things do you see in a person before calling them a friend? Integrity, honesty and positive vibes.

On Fun: “I love everywhere in Lagos.”

My three favourite places in Nigeria, Africa and globally. For Nigeria, my three fun places would be any great restaurant, a great lounge and a nice club. I don’t really have places per se because then, I would be biased. I love everywhere in Lagos at the moment.

Ehrr… Africa, I am loving the beaches in Cape Town, and I’m really enjoying the social scene in Accra and I’m really enjoying my mother’s house up in Aburi mountains.

Globally, I am loving Montego Bay, Negril and Ocho Rios: just take me to Jamaica already! (chuckles)

An unusual activity that I do for fun? I play an original Nintendo Mario. Ehrmm … I still play video games: I don’t really, really …I’m not into any of the new stuff. I don’t own a PS 5 or anything like that but I do own retro consoles.

My last really fun activity … would … have … to be yesterday at Bolivar with my friends. Very, very random. It was a simple ‘I’m having a crappy day guys; let’s go and sit down and enjoy some wine and some good food’, and that was really, really fun.

Fun facts about Bukky George-Taylor

On the three things most people do not know about her:

“I am shy. When I walk into a room full of people, I tremble. I always sit down. So, I am shy, I can be shy.”

“I play video games a lot. I have the very first Nintendo. I went and looked for it. So even Duck Hunt and everything else, I play that. I play Zelda. Zelda is like nonexistent, no one remembers that. I have a super Nintendo original. I play Contra, I remember all the cheat codes… and I have an original Gameboy.”

“I think… you could say that I am stuck in the 90s. I have an original Walkman, I have cassettes, and they still work perfectly. Nobody has more 90s stuff than me: I have jellies, I have clogs, I have Dr Martens, all my lumberjack shirts are still intact, my bandanas everything.”

“[And lastly] I am scared of flying, but I fly all the time. I have full-on phobia with aeroplanes since when I was little. When I was 5, I was going to New York with my mum, and I went to the bathroom and locked myself… So I hate flying but I fly a lot. I just drink champagne and listen to music and get to my destination safely.

The experience when I was 5 also made me claustrophobic, like I can’t be in an enclosed space. Changing rooms? Never! I just shop for clothes in my size and hope that they fit right”

I never leave home without…

“My lipsticks. If I open my bag [now] I have about 10 lipsticks.”

I never go into a meeting without…

“My laptop. Most of the time, I take notes on my laptop, I do presentations on my laptop, so it goes in with me always. If I come into your meeting without a laptop, I am not interested, trust me. So I better have my laptop.”

The post Bukky George-Taylor at 40: The Quintessential Queen of Connections in Forty Paragraphs first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post Bukky George-Taylor at 40: The Quintessential Queen of Connections in Forty Paragraphs appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

Reggie is like that. On the surface, he appears to be a simple person who has managed to successfully combine his passion for travelling with his love of painting. And he is this – a simple person, but one with so much depth that it would take many lifetimes to fully unravel.

Khumalo’s travels have led him to Nigeria, where, in partnership with J.Room Curated and BrownEyedBoy Art Pursuits, he is exhibiting his current body of work. Titled Mental Revolution, it is a collection of paintings that calls for us as Africans to liberate ourselves from our painful past and compels us to usher in an Africa that knows its worth.

Ahead of the exhibition which officially opened on the 13^th of April at the HourGlass Gallery in Victoria Island Lagos, we sat down to speak with Reggie Khumalo and uncover the man behind the art.

In conversation with Reggie Khumalo begins now…

(This article has been edited for clarity)

A.L.M: What inspired your travelling artist life? How did you end up combining both together?

RK: I think for me I’ve always wanted to travel, I’ve always wanted the sense of freedom because I am a motorbiker. So travelling on a motorbike across the continent was freedom; I was totally free, I had no responsibility. I had a tent, my home [and] I was prepared to be … for my home to be a tent.

So that is what truly I did. I had a tent at the back of the bike, and I said “I’m gonna just travel and I’m gonna be free.” And I didn’t expect what I received back: I didn’t expect what Africa gave back to me. I didn’t expect that love I received from Africa, and just how great of a people we are. I never expected that. I was blown away by the kindness that people gave, ehrr, showed to me, I was just blown away by the love. I cannot express it. We are just such a beautiful and unique people. They did it with humility and ehrr, you know, they were so humble about it.

It was like “What do you expect? You’re my brother, you’re my sister.” It was always like that, like “Are you African?” “Yes, I am.” “Oh you’re my brother, you don’t have to pay here, you don’t have to worry.” And it was… and then you realise all of a sudden, ‘I am not alone.’ That changes you. And then you realise that everyone around Africa is rooting for you, everyone is for you, then every place is safe for you. And then you lose that fear of going to unknown places.

So every time I went, it was like also picking pieces of myself with every person I met. Even like meeting you is like meeting myself, you know, in a sense. Because we are one people. And that is such a beautiful experience for me.

A.L.M: And did the idea of doing art… doing exhibitions in each city you visit start from there?

RK: Yeah, yeah. So I do shows in different countries and with some of the money, I then build schools. I help take kids to schools, girls to university in South Africa and in Ethiopia I help… you know, with different things that I can help with. Because also, one of my philosophies is helping…trying to highlight what we are to the world. And I cannot say, “oh, we’re helping people, we’re caring people, we’re sharing people” if I personally don’t do that myself.

So I wanted to be the example, to say Africa is going to be rebuilt by you, it’s going to be done by you, me, I am going to be the change I mean to see.

A.L.M: I had read somewhere that you had run a gallery and done scriptwriting. What inspired your move into art? 

RK: Oh, this is an old interview I guess.

Yea so … I was running a gallery, and then I was doing a whole lot of other stuff. But all that was not just me, you know, it was not just… I just never felt at home. It was not just peaceful you know. And I went through a quarter-life crisis whereby what I am trying to do is not working, whatever is going on is not working. And I had to… that’s when I did the trip.

So the trip was called The Ride and the Artist Within. (Oh, that was the one from Capetown to Cairo) Yea. (Oh, ok, so that was when you decided you were going to go into art full time?) Yea (Really?! I thought you had started doing art before that time.) No, no. So the trip was to find myself, to find the artist within myself. So I went around and I was meeting different artists, I was meeting different people and then… but I know I could always paint, I always could paint. But I just never … it was something that I was shaming, I always felt like artists were quite not taken serious.. they were looked down upon. But then I did this trip and I was like there is nothing else I want to be but an artist, you know?

And so, I just went into it. That trip, my life, totally (And you had no formal training prior?) No, no formal training. (So how did you do it?) Well, I just ehrr, I see people doing it and I do it. But then I .. from that then I start. I think that main thing was for me, to express whatever is inside. Was it right, was it wrong, it didn’t matter. So I just said I’m gonna express whatever is coming from me. And that is what I did; that’s what I’ve been doing. So somehow it has ended up being here in Lagos, it has ended up being in Europe in the States, in being wherever. So now, I’m here, and that has been the journey. It’s just allowing myself to express and believing in that expression that it’s meant for someone’s ears, it’s meant for someone’s eyes, it’s meant for something.

A.L.M: If you were not doing art, if you were not painting, what would you have been doing? What other career path would have appealed to you?

RK: If I was painting, I would have died. (Literally,) I would have died. I just don’t see how else you can be something else you’re not meant to be. Either I’ll be on a motorbike, I’ll be travelling on motorbikes across continents and yeah, cos I’m a biker and that is what I love doing also. So I would just have been travelling on motorbikes across the world.

A.L.M: It was your trip to Sudan that made you introduce this (the Black faces). Because I looked at your earlier paintings, and it was just basically blue on white. So, do you see your art evolving as a result of your travel in future?

RK: Absolutely. I think everything that has happened has been because of the travels. I travel to tell a story of what I experience when I travel. And then… so my travels and my art is (sic) one thing. I travel to pick up pieces of myself and tell my story of those pieces in a sense, right?

But getting to Sudan was just something amazing for me. You know, the places where people have experienced the most are the most kindest [sic] people. I cannot tell you how kind Sudanese are, how much love I received in Sudan. I cannot tell you how much. I have never experienced that kind of kindness (since), until now which is in Lagos, which has been such an amazing experience. You remind me so much of Sudanese, but also, you remind me so much of Africa, like everywhere in Africa we’ve got this kindness. But, that one was something else! And also here too. So the work was… the beauty of Blackness was just so undiluted. 

So the inspiration is Sudan, the time I was in Sudan. It was so beautiful to see a Black skin, like the skin was just so beautiful and purely Black. Undiluted innocence. Like there was no one trying to be anything other than Black. And I thought “this is such a thing to be proud of, for us to talk about, like Blackness.” And so Blackness must be in someone’s face. I want that Blackness to be in someone’s face, like ok, this is Black, this is a Black person. And it is unapologetic. It’s just pure and it’s beautiful, and no one is doubting it. It’s just … you know (sucks in breath) confident and that’s what I wanted to go with.

A.L.M: I know you’ve been successful with everything you’ve done. But, I know you deal with doubts sometimes. When these self-doubts come, how do you deal with them?

RK: I think, first of all, I think where they come from is the moment I stop looking at where I need to go and I start looking all around me. I start to look at what other artists are doing, what all other people are doing, then all of a sudden, then mine is no longer good enough, or where I am is no longer good enough.

But how do I beat that is that I just refocus myself on where I need to be because then I look at where I’ve been. I look back and I’m like, how did I get there? Oh, I did a show in Berlin, I did a show in Paris. I did that [and] some of them were sold out, I did shows in Ethiopia that … and I am like actually, it is a good track record. And I think I’ve been blessed in that sense. And I stop looking elsewhere and I’m like whatever is coming again, it going to be beautiful. So I trust my journey, I trust my path, I trust where I’m going and I trust… yeah, I’ve got no doubts anymore[sic]. I have no doubts anymore [sic]. I mean, they do, it does creep in, but I always have to remind myself where I’ve come from, how far I’ve come.

A.L.M: Do you have a clear process (for your travels) or you allow your work or your guts to guide you? What is it like?

RK: I think the process is, I’m led by whatever it is, I think be it the spirit you’ll say or be it ehmm… and I allow it to just flow.

For instance, certain things like, sometimes what someone will find as negative, to me, like let’s say I need to go to London for a show or something, and all of a sudden the visas or whatever is a problem, I don’t fret anymore. I am not like, oh, I lost out because then I know that probably I was not meant to be there or it was not time yet but there’s something that is greater coming. And it usually is greater. So I’m trusting the process: I really trust the process fully.

I tell you, I was always in the bush with the motorbike for like, two good years literally travelling around in the bush. And I never slept hungry, I never.. and so on. And so, that taught me that I am well looked after, and my path in that sense is also unique and I trust … it’s almost God-given. So, I’ve got no doubt in that, in my path. I try to listen, I’m very sensitive to what is the next step, I’m very sensitive to the journey and where the work wants to go. Ehrmm, and sometimes, I just have to shut down and listen, and just listen. You know, I always say this, I always say to everyone: this is how people, we were, in terms of… the wind speaks, the ocean speaks, the land speaks but are we listening? You know, and these are some of the things I try to get in touch with, to get back to what… that sense that we once had as Africans to the land and to what is around us.

So, and I think that our souls also speak, but we shut down a lot of things. So then it will tell us, ‘this is where you’re going’ or ‘this is what you need to really be, this is where you need to be and this is what you need to…’ you know? And then, it will seem that whatever you do is not wrong, because you’re where you need to be.

And the art speaks too, you know, the art speaks. I have conversations with these paintings. Ehrm, I mean, as I’m painting I have conversations with them. That’s why you see the writing on them. So that’s the writing that I … it’s a conversation between myself and the work and the work and myself in a sense.

A.L.M: What has been your greatest challenge so far on your travels and in your art?

RK: Ehrrm, I think it’s trusting the process, that has been the hardest (not even when you were ill and you had to go back to South Africa?) I mean, that was painful but, I think it was for a reason.

The problem is that I’ve elevated myself to a point where my negativity is my positivity. Does it make sense? Like to a point where, ehrmm, like negativity… has got a part to play in my journey. So maybe if you’ve asked me this question then, I would have said ‘Ah, I felt bad then. But now, I look at everything as I’m on a journey, this is happening. There’s this thing that does not seem to work out now, but it is working out somehow, some way. You know.

(Ok, so every challenge is just like an opportunity waiting…) I think every challenge is an opportunity. I think every, ehrr, you know, sometimes, even good things are bad, you know what I’m saying. So sometimes, what seems to be good for you is actually a poison. So, I don’t think there’s a bad and a good; I just think there’s now.

A.L.M: Is there something you’ll like to see more on the African art scene?

RK: I think what I want to see is more bravery, I think more bravery. I just want to see more guts. I just want to see more of us – not afraid to lose whatever little we have. I just want to see people being a bit more audacious, we must just go for it. Like, playing safe is not safe, you know? Like, I see we’re almost kind of doing the same things. Sometimes also, other artists start to buy into other people’s work and so on, and then you’re like ‘man, just do your thing, right?’

So, one thing that we need to do is also be adventurous. So, adventurous within yourself. Explore yourself, explore what you need to…. explore yourself, explore your soul, explore what’s around you, then, that tells… then you can be able to paint. Or you would be able to tell an art story from your soul

(But what about how we consume art? Because sometimes, it feels like we as Africans do not consume our art) I think, what needs to change is… like, this is why we are here, it’s called the Mental Revolution, innit? I think we need to change how we look at ourselves. That is all. The moment I feel confident in myself, the moment I feel confident in being Black, and that Black is also good, and Black is wealthy, Black is rich, Black is the top …of the pyramid scheme,… and then, you don’t even have to go out there [out of Africa] to buy a work.

I’ll tell you something: one way or another, I’ll have my say in this world, and then… be it through the work, be it through whatever. And then, the world will hear what we have to say. And I am not talking as Reggie, I am talking as African [sic]. I think that’s the thing for me: that as Africans we’re going to… we’ve got to a point where we’re telling our story unapologetically. And we need to believe in it.

A.L.M: What’s your view on NFTs? DO you ever think you’ll offer any of your work as an NFT?

RK: I think I will at one point… yes. Listen, I am a very strong believer in Ubuntu in terms of I am because you are, whatever the African philosophy. I am a strong believer in Africaness but also, I am not a fool not to realise where we are. We’re living in a capitalistic world. I think what we need to do is, sometimes, we need to wear our capitalistic hats, and then when we wear those hats, we deal as capitalists. But at home, we are Africans.

So, with the rest of the world, we need to deal as capitalists, but within ourselves, we still keep our strong sharing and kind heart and everything else. Because people cannot understand that outside of Africa.

So I’m going to get into NFTs one way or another at some point, maybe not now but I will get into it.

A.L.M: You lost one of your artworks recently. Have you been able to find it?

RK: They hijacked the truck (were you able to get it back?) No, I never got the painting back. It was being shipped to Atlanta in the States, and at the time in America, they had been robbing, ehrr, they had been hijacking courier cars… One of my paintings was in one of those trucks and they took everything, they took even my painting. So I never recovered that painting.

A.L.M: So, apart from your motorbike, and your tent, what are 3 things you cannot do without on your travels?

RK: Hmnn, well I think, toothbrush? I guess that’s important for all of us anyway. If we’re going to be talking here, I talk a lot, you know? So I need to be quite fresh – I hope I’m still fresh, but anyway (chuckles), toothbrush I get and ehrrm… So I have a lot of problems with my stomach, so of course, I need my meds, I guess, for my stomach. And then I…. I don’t know I never really… I never really thought about this. I guess… I guess a phone?

A.L.M: What are your top 3 African destinations?

RK: I think Egypt should be number 1 for every African, in terms of it should be the Mecca for us. Like we should do … pilgrimage. I think all Africans must go on a pilgrimage to Egypt. I think that is something we need to do. Because that tells a story of our past in a sense. And of course, it is not done by the Egyptians that you see now, I mean we all know that. And I think that’s a past… that’s a thing that when you come back from, you’ll be like ‘oh, actually, what happened? How did we lose it?’

Also Sudan, I think Sudan (South or) I mean general Sudan. Because ehmm … North Sudan I think, where the pyramids are. There is no doubt it was by Nubian farers, and then you realise that there are certain things that we knew.

And then, ehrr, I haven’t been to the West, so I’m looking forward… I want to leave the last spot to West Africa. That, I’m still yet to discover.

A.L.M: What are 3 things people don’t really know about you?

RK: Ehrrrmmm… there’s one thing that people don’t know… but I don’t know, ehmmmm…. I don’t know, ehmmmmm……I don’t know! I mean, if I don’t know, then….

The Mental Revolution by Reggie Khumalo is currently exhibiting at the HourGlass Gallery at Victoria Island, Lagos, and will end on the 20th of April 2022.

‘In Conversation with’ by ASPIRE Luxury Magazine celebrates stars, influencers, celebrities and public figures, shining a spotlight on their lives and the incredible stories they have to share.

The post In Conversation with South African Artist and World Traveler, Reggie Khumalo. first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post In Conversation with South African Artist and World Traveler, Reggie Khumalo. appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.