The Swinging Palm Trees Podcast

"You really need to push yourself; pressure can be validated positively and negatively, but it's up to you on how you take it.  Nobody's going to spoon-feed you in this world, so it's very important on how you get through, but with determination and motivation, You can get to your goal."

On today's episode, I chat with one of the youngest General Managers of a restaurant in London, Rizwan Khan.  We talk about how he got into the hospitality industry, working at top-tier restaurants in Central London; his work ethic, mentors, his passion for  meeting a variety of clients, foods & tastes, and what it actually means to be 'Front of House'.  We also geek out over his love for Japanese manga and popular culture, and which chef he would love to have around for a home-made meal.  And of course, we discuss the sayings and affirmations that continually inspire him.

Riz is General Manager at Junsei Marylebone. Prior to this appointment, he worked within the same capacity at kanishka restaurant and at various positions at Cinnamon Club. Riz is also a Semifinalist of the Gold Scholarship Service 2022. 

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Support the show

Thanks for listening to the episode. I'd like to thank my guest for their time, insight and being a great sport!  
I would also like to thank my producer, Ashanti Omkar,  for all her hard work.
If you'd like to be a guest, drop me a line at [email protected] or @theswingingpalmtrees on Instagram
Keep Rising & Thriving.  Aṣẹ!

"But one of the fundamentals of designing any home, be it a single family home dwelling, or an apartment block, is fire safety.   It's literally the way firefighters get in and fight fires, and the way people get out;  it's one of the fundamental pieces of the puzzle that you have to solve, especially in Housing blocks."

On today's episode, I chat with architect and my Jollof rice nemesis, Kwame, about buildings, designs & architectural projects, the challenges of architecture, the housing deficit issue in the UK, the green belt and sustainability.  We also talk about how he got into architecture, and his career so far.  He also gives a crash course behind the meaning of names according to the Akan tribes, and we also compare Nigerian and Ghananian mannerisms and try our very best to avoid a full out conflict when it comes to Jollof rice. 

We also take a look at Kwame's creative side, including poetry and photography, and of course, we delve into a couple of quotes that inspire him.

"Architect, photography enthusiast & Jollof aficionado.  If it's art, I'll lap it up!" -Kwame

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Thanks for listening to the episode. I'd like to thank my guest for their time, insight and being a great sport!  
I would also like to thank my producer, Ashanti Omkar,  for all her hard work.
If you'd like to be a guest, drop me a line at [email protected] or @theswingingpalmtrees on Instagram
Keep Rising & Thriving.  Aṣẹ!

"There are some people, in the South Asian community, that will hold lighter skin above everything else.  But there are some people in the world who truly, & I think it's an individual thing, that sees beauty through the heart, rather than your appearance."

On today's episode, I chat with mathematician, fashion designer, singer and new mother Thakshayini about equations, designs, and motherhood.  We also talk about colourism and its negative impact on mental health, and how it's not just only an issue within the South Asian community, and how her outlook to having darker skin has changed positively over the years.  We discuss being in blindian relationships and the challenges that come with the union.  

We also talk about Thakshayini's musical career, her favourite raga, and who her biggest musical influence is.  And of course,  we examine her favourite affirmation.

A lover of the Arts with a degree in Mathematics, Thakshayini has always followed her heart .  Originally living in London, she has moved with her family to the USA to venture into new and exciting opportunities. 

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Thanks for listening to the episode. I'd like to thank my guest for their time, insight and being a great sport!  
I would also like to thank my producer, Ashanti Omkar,  for all her hard work.
If you'd like to be a guest, drop me a line at [email protected] or @theswingingpalmtrees on Instagram
Keep Rising & Thriving.  Aṣẹ!

"Identity is something that is needed to help ground people."

On today's episode, I chat with my 'brah', Josh, who describes himself, in his own words,  as   "South African, Jewish, flaming homosexual, ex-military, ex-banking, financier; confused from the get-go till I go to sleep!"

I talk to Josh about his upbringing in South Africa, to his time with the Special Forces in the IDF, and the injuries that came with the job.  We also talk about his love for boxing and judo, his proud Jewish heritage, his sexuality, body aesthetics and the male gaze.  We also chat  challahs, brisket and who would come to his dinner party of people he has never met.  We touch on why I call him 'Mr Happy', and whether he is obsessed with unicorns or not.  

Josh also shares on the podcast his quote and why he refers back to it always.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Thanks for listening to the episode. I'd like to thank my guest for their time, insight and being a great sport!  
I would also like to thank my producer, Ashanti Omkar,  for all her hard work.
If you'd like to be a guest, drop me a line at [email protected] or @theswingingpalmtrees on Instagram
Keep Rising & Thriving.  Aṣẹ!

"The way the industry is changing, you are learning on the job!"

On today's episode, I talk with producer and podcaster Ada about her career in the media.  We delve into soundtracks and tv shows, the female gaze,  and one of her favourite movies: 'Rocks'.  We chat about life and cultural heritage,  and it goes without saying that Jollof rice comes into the equation,  and how Ada feels strongly about Beyonce and Nigerian pepper soup.

We also talk about the tragic story behind the Grenfell Tower meme of Debora Ann Eden; racism, microaggressions within Britain, & black trauma.  Ada also discusses her affirmation and how it continually inspires her.

Ada is a 27 year old Mancunian that is also senior producer at BuzzFeed UK, where she also leads a Black British brand called Seasoned. With her focus being mainly Black content, she is also one half on the Black focussed podcast Seasoned Sessions. 

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Thanks for listening to the episode. I'd like to thank my guest for their time, insight and being a great sport!  
I would also like to thank my producer, Ashanti Omkar,  for all her hard work.
If you'd like to be a guest, drop me a line at [email protected] or @theswingingpalmtrees on Instagram
Keep Rising & Thriving.  Aṣẹ!

On today's episode, I chat with the lovely and soft-spoken Glen (or 'MrGlen', as he is popularly known) shares his wisdom from his career as an art director, and those who have influenced his work. We also chat about typefaces & fonts, magazine designs, photo-shoots, and what the difference is between an art director and designer.  MrGlen also candidly talks about depression and anxiety, and how he uses art illustration as a therapeutic outlet.  And of course, we look at the quotes that continually encourage him.

MrGlen is a multi-disciplinary designer and art director, as well as an illustrator, painter, photographer and new media artist. He studied at the London College of Printing in the mid-to-late 80s and has been working since in magazines and books and more recently digital solutions - web, apps and AR applications.  MrGlen likes to look forward and in the past for inspiration and is constantly trying to find new directions, new ideas, new tools. 

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Thanks for listening to the episode. I'd like to thank my guest for their time, insight and being a great sport!  
I would also like to thank my producer, Ashanti Omkar,  for all her hard work.
If you'd like to be a guest, drop me a line at [email protected] or @theswingingpalmtrees on Instagram
Keep Rising & Thriving.  Aṣẹ!

On today's episode, I chat with playwright and actress Rani Moorthy about her one-woman show performances and plays that are drawn from her lived migrant experience: born in Malaysia but due to the race riots of 1969, eventually getting to Singapore where she began her career before emigrating to the UK.  We discuss the local influences and cultures that inspired her plays; her Tamil ancestry; diversity, the Migrant Experience as a brown woman, colonialism, and puja rituals.
We also discuss curries and whether she would actually cook in a sari, and of course, her approach to living life and a few of the philosophies and quotes that continually encourage her.

Rani Moorthy is artistic director of Rasa and has written 12 critically acclaimed and award nominated plays which have toured nationally and internationally.  She wrote two BBC Radio 4 dramas and for television, BBC1's Doctors and 3 short films, one feature on ITV.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Thanks for listening to the episode. I'd like to thank my guest for their time, insight and being a great sport!  
I would also like to thank my producer, Ashanti Omkar,  for all her hard work.
If you'd like to be a guest, drop me a line at [email protected] or @theswingingpalmtrees on Instagram
Keep Rising & Thriving.  Aṣẹ!

On today's episode, I chat with musical storyteller & composer Rosabella Gregory about songwriting, composition, collaborations with Soumik Datta & Bernhard Schimpelsberger, Anoushka Shankar, Indian classical music, and being mentored by the legend, Bob James.

We also talk about her albums, her creative process, her current projects including writing the music for  Broadway Records' 'My Marcello' with her twin, Dina, writing the lyrics, based on the book written by Tony award winner Corey Brunish; her heritage; mental health, alien facehuggers and daddy longlegs, and of course, her approach to living life and a few of the quotes and affirmations that continually encourage her.

Rosabella Gregory is an award winning songwriter and composer. She has
released three solo albums and performed her work throughout the UK and
internationally, at venues such as The Royal Festival Hall, Live at Zédel and in
support of the legendary Jools Holland on his Country House tour. Her
musicianship has led to collaborations with such luminaries as Bob James and
Árstíðir. Rosabella composes for theatre, television and opera, and her work has
been performed at such venues as Hoxton Hall, The Arcola and 59E59 NYC.
Collaborating with her twin Dina has given Rosabella her most rewarding
writing experiences, from writing a rock opera for the ENO Lillian Bayliss
programme at 16, to winning the Vivian Ellis prize at 21, right up to the present
day and their collaboration on a new adaptation of The Wind in the Willows for
Audible starring Jennifer Saunders and Harriet Walter.  More recently Broadway
Records released a World Premiere Recording of their musical “My Marcello”
with an all-star cast including Santino Fontana, Laura Osnes and Terrence
Mann.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Thanks for listening to the episode. I'd like to thank my guest for their time, insight and being a great sport!  
I would also like to thank my producer, Ashanti Omkar,  for all her hard work.
If you'd like to be a guest, drop me a line at [email protected] or @theswingingpalmtrees on Instagram
Keep Rising & Thriving.  Aṣẹ!

On today's episode, my guest is the multi-talented  Akinola Davies Jr.  We chat about his career in filmmaking, music and collaborations with other creatives.  We talk about certain perspectives of  the Black Experience, discussing projects that have included BBC's 'Black to Life' about the oft overlooked, and mostly forgotten stories of black British figures.
We also go in length about filming projects in Nigeria, namely his award winning Short Film, Lizard, and how the film came into existence; his shooting of the Durbar Festival in Nigeria; the 'Unity is Strength' project in collaboration with fellow artist Ruth Ossai in conjunction with Kenzo.  We also talk about his approach of telling a different visual perspective of Fela Kuti in 'One Day go be One Day', via the stories of the people who knew the musical legend.

Akin and I discuss our cultural heritage of being Yoruba and Nigerian, and the influences it has on him as a visual storyteller; a particular historial figure he would invite for dinner; life anecdotes and it's ups and downs, but importantly, his approach to living life and a few of the quotes and affirmations that continually encourage him.

Akinola Davies is a BAFTA nominated and Sundance award-winning Filmmaker, Visual Artist, and Music Curator, whose work spans nations to explore themes of community, race, spirituality, identity and gender, telling stories that bridge the gap between traditional and millennial communities. His first narrative short film ‘Lizard’ premiered at the 2020 BFI London Film Festival and was selected for the Raindance Film Festival. As an individual Akinola was selected for the Berlinale Talents 2020 Collective and was named one of Screen Daily’s ‘Stars of Tomorrow’ alongside Emma Louis Corrin, Paul Mescal and more. Most recently, Akin won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize in Short Film for ‘Lizard’ and the short is now nominated for a BAFTA. The film has since picked up the Best Narrative prize at Philadelphia’s prestigious Blackstar film festival. As part of Akinolas visual practice has had 2 solo art shows; his first at the 1.1 Gallery in Basel and at the Dupont underground in Washington D.C. Equally he participated in numerous group shows nameley Les Urbannes in Lausanne and Kunsthal Rotterdam. Akinola has become a go to creative in the fashion industry working with brands such as Gucci, Acne Studios, COS, Kenzo, Louis Vuitton and the like on multiple creative projects, in front of and behind the camera. Alongside his work in narrative film and fashion, Akin has directed music videos for the likes of Dev Hynes and Neneh Cherry.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Thanks for listening to the episode. I'd like to thank my guest for their time, insight and being a great sport!  
I would also like to thank my producer, Ashanti Omkar,  for all her hard work.
If you'd like to be a guest, drop me a line at [email protected] or @theswingingpalmtrees on Instagram
Keep Rising & Thriving.  Aṣẹ!

On today's episode, I chat with Nathalie about her career in photography, and what her initial career choice was going to be.  We go old school about manual cameras, F-stops and aperture speeds, and the joys of working in a dark room.
We also talk about mentoring, representation within the field;  her quest to win the Taylor Wessing Award; accents and lips (not in that order);  more photography, that time she bumped into LL Cool J, and of course, her approach to living life and a few of the quotes and affirmations that continually encourage her.
Born and raised in London, British photographer Nathalie Gordon shoots with an unusual but fantastic hyper realistic style. Her work is packed with high sheen and edge, yet she is able to maintain a realistic and believable representation of her subjects.  Her use of high flash and big gloss keeps you on the edge & they keeps you wanting more: be it a flashy advertising campaign or a social realism vignette. Nathalie’s personalised combination of beautiful snapshots, suggestions of human feelings and emotion explodes through a photorealistic slant.
Some of Nathalie's collection called 'Lost in Nostalgia', will be exhibited  at The Other Art Fair, presented by Saatchi Art, (@theotherartfair, @saatchiart) at the Barker Hanger, Santa Monica. 

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Thanks for listening to the episode. I'd like to thank my guest for their time, insight and being a great sport!  
I would also like to thank my producer, Ashanti Omkar,  for all her hard work.
If you'd like to be a guest, drop me a line at [email protected] or @theswingingpalmtrees on Instagram
Keep Rising & Thriving.  Aṣẹ!