My friend Indira hops on the pod and tears me a whole new one! Kidding, not really! she doesn't hold back! It was a very thoughtful conversation. We explore on the spectrum of love for partners, from teenage love to best friends. We talked about our one month fling and how I ran (yeah you read that right). We talked about her finding her new man and now newly engaged. We talk about long term love and unsustainable overwhelming love. We talked about some really complex topics like the pressures she feels from family to build a family. We discuss her family accepting her new partner. We talk about staying friends after a relationship. We cover a lot of very interesting topics on relationships. 

Indira says about me that she taught I was perfect but she was wrong, however I also think that defines her new relationship, he is perfect because they chose each other and they grow together in respect and admiration. I'm so reluctant to push the publish button, this story is so personal and raw, but that's all I ever wanted this platform to be, the things we don't say. 

I get together with my good friend I, to recap the season one.. we talk about moments that were dear to us, we talk about vulnerability, courage, mental health, single parenting, longing hearts and self care. All of the themes that were so dear in the first season. 

I penned a letter to my Son E, many of the burning things and themes I wish I could communicate to him today.. It's about learning to protect his heart, his time, treating people with dignity, keeping his head up... 

Another dope conversation with my great friend, Emem. In season one we have a lot of talks about vulnerability with black men of different backgrounds. Emem is a very talented photographer: @eyeshutteryounot on IG. Emem works in robotics automation and process engineer at heart. We talk about one of the most burning questions of our generation: how do you know you want to marry someone? We talk about the painful story of an engagement that didn't end up in marriage. We talk about grieving lost, lost of a relationship, or lost of a connection, being vulnerable in therapy, finding therapy as a black man. We talk about careers, rebounding, and shifting lense amid turbulent times. We also talk about new love, growth, self-centering your life in order to do better. We talk about our passion for art, music culture, and of course, huge shout out to the collective! 

This is part 2 of 2 of a series with my friend JP... Part 1 is called "Wish You Were Here: Grief and Pandemic"... In this episode gloves come off. I ask JP about the topic of being a man and seeking re-assurance in relationships.. We talk about dating scene, here in Seattle and also the dating scene in New York, where JP currently resides. We talk about being vulnerable with other male friends about things we struggle with. Especially 2 black men, of African decent (Rwanda and Togo) and how our cultural constructs affect how we approach vulnerability. I admit to JP the many uplifting ways crossing paths with him were key in my growth... I talk for the first time about being a single dad.. A little shout out in passing to my friends les "Bons Fellas"... We end by deconstructing ways to show health care. We also touch on mental health, share some things we've been learning about therapy and how it affects our vulnerability today... 

About the Guest:

JP -- jpmugizi.com

Continue the conversation:

Brene Brown - Books (https://g.co/kgs/PPAeya)

Malcom Gladwell - Books (https://g.co/kgs/9NFcPC)

The Music:

Blaq Pages (c) copyright 2020 Blaq Pages (non commercial use, requested permission to use via IG DMs).

https://soundcloud.com/blaqpages/rema-dumebi-blaq-pages-remix

https://soundcloud.com/blaqpages/talking-about-me

https://soundcloud.com/blaqpages/get-loose-feat-apiwe-bubu

https://soundcloud.com/blaqpages/high-energy-feat-hannah-eggen-dj-kwamzy

Souba by Solo Dja Kabako is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License.

https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Solo_Dja/Solo_Dja_Kabako/mogoklfataallahy

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TWDS PRODUCTION:

This is part 1 of a 2 part episode that I record with my good friend JP.. JP is a good friend of mine, JP used to live in Seattle before he decided to take his talents to the big Apple.. JP is from Rwanda.. We talk art, music, especially African Music.. We talk about grief, I introduce JP and why I wanted to talk to him. We talk about JP's experience with COVID and how he felt supported in New York. We also give you a prelude to the part 2.. Just two black men chopping it up! Part 2.. coming soon... stay tuned...

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About the Guest:

JP -- jpmugizi.com

Continue the conversation:

Album Art -- theindieplanet (shop closed)

Albums mentioned: 

1- Mr Eazi Life Is Eazi, Vol. 2 - Lagos to London

2- Kendrick Lamar - Damn 

3- Jidenna. - 85 to Africa

4- sza - ctrl

Concerts:

Jidenna at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, WA on Sat Oct 5, 8 pm, 2019

The Music:

Blaq Pages (c) copyright 2020 Blaq Pages (non commercial use, requested permission to use via IG DMs).

https://soundcloud.com/blaqpages/get-loose-feat-apiwe-bubu

Souba by Solo Dja Kabako is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License.

https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Solo_Dja/Solo_Dja_Kabako/mogoklfataallahy

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TWDS PRODUCTION:

I catch up with actor Thirsa Van Til, she talks to us about her journey from the Netherlands to the USA, pursuing her passion of acting. We talk about leaving all behind, selling all of her belongings to chase the dream. She opens up about taking risks, navigating the space of acting/producing. Thirsa also talks about the inspiring story of Truus Menger, a female Dutch resistance fighter during the German occupation in world war II. Truus story inspired Thirsa to create a play called Virtue of Victory. This is one of the many facets of Thirsa's story, how she's redefined herself so many time, truly an inspiring story

Thirsa Van Til: https://thirsavantil.com/en/

Truss Menger: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truus_Menger-Oversteegen

V Virtue of Victory: https://thirsavantil.com/en/vvirtue-of-victory/

Solider of Orange: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw3sjisBuB8

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The Music:

Rough Patches by Solstar (c) copyright 2019 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial  (3.0) license. https://www.tribeofnoise.com/viewMusic.php?fileID=37459

Cheat the Night by Scomber (c) copyright 2019 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial  (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/scomber/59915 Ft: Loveshadow

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TWDS PRODUCTION:

I catch up with Raymond. He is what I like to call a pure intellectual.. Software engineer at Microsoft, originally from Nigeria, he’s a musician, an artist. Raymond and I connect over art, music, history, maps and our passion for the continent of Africa.  This is the long awaited part two of my episode with Raymond.. We bring you good music, some vibes we talk about opening your heart again after hardships... We talk about finding new love,  we talk about being scared shitless but still spending that currency of life and taking chances.

---------

The Music:

Blaq Pages (c) copyright 2020 Blaq Pages (non commercial use, requested permission to use via IG DMs).

https://soundcloud.com/blaqpages/rema-dumebi-blaq-pages-remix

https://soundcloud.com/blaqpages/talking-about-me

https://soundcloud.com/blaqpages/tribute-to-the-ancestors-feat-kirani-ayat 

Just the two of us (c) copyright 2020 Kauai45 ft Sweet Coacoa (non commercial use, requested permission to use via IG DMs).

https://soundcloud.com/kauai45/just-the-two-of-us 

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TWDS PRODUCTION:

I catch up with Raymond. He is what I like to call a pure intellectual.. Software engineer at Microsoft, originally from Nigeria, he’s a musician, an artist. Raymond and I connect over art, music, history, maps and our passion for the continent of Africa.

I wanted to sit with Raymond and brainstorm ways he and I, and others like us would like to see the continent prosper. We discuss this from our view, the one of working in a technological hub, members of the diaspora, using the tools at our disposal. We tackle various ideas for bad and good governance, ways to make good use of capital being sent home, just ways we can see the continent proper, all of this on the backdrop of the Endsars movement as well as police brutality.

No way to put Raymond and I in the same room and not want to talk about history! We discuss the importance of writing our own history as we discuss ways to recover it’s missing relics.

---------

The Music:

Get Loose (c) copyright 2020 Blaq Pages (non commercial use, requested permission to use via IG DMs).

https://soundcloud.com/blaqpages/get-loose-feat-apiwe-bubu 

Just the two of us (c) copyright 2020 Kauai45 ft Sweet Coacoa (non commercial use, requested permission to use via IG DMs).

https://soundcloud.com/kauai45/just-the-two-of-us 

---------

Continue the conversation:

[Jumia ceo claiming africa have no quality engineers]: https://technext.ng/2019/04/15/jumia-ceo-under-heavy-fire-claiming-africa-have-quality-developers/

[Paystack Startup Acquisition]: https://techcrunch.com/2020/10/15/stripe-acquires-nigerias-paystack-for-200m-to-expand-into-the-african-continent/

[ushahidi Startup]: https://www.theguardian.com/news/blog/2011/apr/07/ushahidi-crowdmap-kenya-violence-hague

[Well told Story Startup]: https://www.devex.com/organizations/well-told-story-52734

[Hack for Africa - Microsoft sponsored]: https://hackforafrica.devpost.com/

[The rise of MPESA as a solution to the unbanked]: https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/21420357/kenya-mobile-banking-unbanked-cellphone-money

[Microsoft opens first africa development centre in Kenya and Nigeria]: https://news.microsoft.com/en-xm/features/furthering-our-investment-in-africa-microsoft-opens-first-africa-development-centre-in-kenya-and-nigeria/

[Ashesi University Ghana] https://www.cnn.com/2013/05/01/world/africa/patrick-awuah-ashesi-ghana/index.html

[Clubhouse Social Media] https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/20/clubhouse-app-is-where-mc-hammer-and-jared-leto-chat-with-vcs.html

[Made in Nigeria Github]: https://github.com/acekyd/made-in-nigeria

[Future Fund Africa]: https://www.future.africa/fund

TWDS PRODUCTION:

I caught up with the extraordinary, the one and only, General Mutombo: the best African comedian in the PNW. If I could nickname this episode, it would be entitled laugh and cry. This episode is the re-incarnation of everything I've wanted TWDS Podcast to be. We talk about the very painful experience of domestic violence and matrimonial abuse, we talk about the difficult journey of immigrants and how they can be left vulnerable in a system they don't understand. We talk domestic violence from the prospective of a cisgender heterosexual man as a victim. We talk a little about mental health especially it's taboo in black families. 

There's tons of hope in this episode, the General drops a lot of tribal African knowledge and does it in at times the most of hilarious ways. We also respect the times we are in, this episode was recorded 2 days after the 2020 American Presidential Election, so of course some Nevada jokes and of course no way to get 2 Africans together without being extra hyped and making fun of African dictators. 

I frankly don't know if I'm ever going to get such a raw story in TWDS, tune in, I talk a lot more about the podcast journey in the intro to this episode. 

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TWDS PRODUCTION:

THE TROUBLEMAKERS

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Tree Man by Femi Jaye (c) copyright 2019 Femi Jaye (non commercial use, requested permission to use via IG DMs). https://soundcloud.com/femijaye/tree-man-video-mix Ft: A.BEEB

Rough Patches by Solstar (c) copyright 2019 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial  (3.0) license. https://www.tribeofnoise.com/viewMusic.php?fileID=37459

Cheat the Night by Scomber (c) copyright 2019 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial  (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/scomber/59915 Ft: Loveshadow

Les nuits by diaphane (c) copyright 2016 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial  (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/Diaphane/52823 Ft: Siobhan Dakay