Walking on the bold side

Award-winning scotch whisky label, Johnnie Walker is dedicated to the spirit of progress and transferring ahead which is embodied within the tagline: Preserve Strolling.

This motto has graced billboards and bottles worldwide however there are few standout people that reside by it. Johnnie Walker in collaboration with Hint Africa actively sought out to seek out these people taking daring steps for a giant goal in Africa which led to the Preserve Strolling: Africa High 30 listing. These High 30 people are the next-gen go-getters, the creatives that problem the established order and push the boundaries of what might be. These High 30 are taking Africa to the world, one step at a time, by means of music, trend, artwork, movie and media. Let’s meet the High 30 strolling on the daring aspect of Africa.

Kenyan dressmaker, Junior Orina, took his first steps to fight hazardous waste created by the quick trend trade by beginning an attire enterprise that stands for sustainability. The streetwear firm, Nairobi Attire District, makes use of up-cycled sustainable materials which in flip promotes environmental motion in addition to African designs and designers. As Junior ex.plains, “A few years in the past, street-wear stalls opened across the metropolis with clothes from Europe and China. None of those outlets stocked Kenyan-owned clothes. There are solely a handful of Kenyan-owned streetwear manufacturers in Kenya so we’re united by our mutual love for streetwear and sustainability. We determined to do it for the tradition to check if we are able to create a group based mostly strategy to Kenyan trend.” Junior’s curiosity led to 1 small step of change after which in direction of greatness.

Not distant, one other dressmaker is on an analogous journey in Zambia. Enter Mainga Sanderson, an artist fascinating the world along with his African essence. As he tells about his label Vitenge Ni Vatu, “VNV is greater than only a trend model to me it’s the very essence of a younger African daydreamer seeing the world by means of the eyes of African print, captured and saved within the gallery of my thoughts creating the very core fibres of my back-bone reminding me of my path residence, who I’m … to me Vitenge Ni Vatu is a chance for me to the touch and attain out to as many individuals as I can as I endeavour to encourage the easiest in folks. VNV is a each day reminder to dare to dream.”

Daring to dream is the catalyst of change as Mainga has so eloquently proven. From Zambia to New York Trend Week, London Trend Week and past; Mainga is making an entrance and his strides are inspiring others to do the identical.

Inspiration can take you to date however sup.port and collaboration with different folks can take you additional. That is the core perception of Rwandan musician, Ish Kevin. When speaking concerning the manufacturing values on his album Trappish II, Ish tells us that he finds power in collaboration. “In Rwanda, a producer can produce a tune for you however he doesn’t need another producer to the touch it,” he explains. “However once we got here, we have been like, ‘Yo why can’t three, producers and even 4 work on one tune and we make a success collectively?’ On my newest EP, Trappish II, every tune has at the least three producers on it, at the least three or 4.” Collaboration results in bigger attain and naturally bolder steps in direction of brisker instructions.

Talking of contemporary, Angola-born musician, Pongo approached her profession from a brand-new course. After a difficult begin in life, Pongo escaped her residence nation with a damaged leg and landed in Portugal. Whereas looking for physiotherapy for her leg in Portugal, Pongo would get off on the prepare station in Queluz, a various neighbourhood the place many African immigrants lived. It was there that she noticed the kuduro dance group Denon Squad acting on the road. When her damage healed, she started dancing with the group, then rapping. This led to Pongo’s reinvention of her.self as a solo artist in Lisbon. Her music speaks to overcoming a number of struggles whereas mixing frenetic African rhythms with blaring techno beats and rapping. Change is fixed in Pongo’s world however she navigates it one step at a time and by doing so, inadvertently reveals the unbreakable spirit of Africa and Af.ricans to the world.