54Lights Kondwani Mwase

WHAT TO EXPECT...WHEN YOU PUSH PLAY
Kondwani Mwase sits down with Ghanaian-Canadian artist Kofi Frimpong for a vibrant discussion about his artistic journey, creative process, and the power of community. Kofi shares insights into how his colourful paintings connect with people, especially those in the African diaspora. Join them as they explore the importance of love, laughter, and endless possibilities in art and life.
LEAN IN, LISTEN UP...AND LEARN
Inspired by his father's doodling of Egyptian characters, Kofi's artistic journey began at a young age.Kofi's paintings often feature vibrant colours and textured backdrops that tell a story, with figures and faces complementing the narrative.Reflecting his love for people, community, collaboration, and the idea of creating spaces conducive to love, learning, and laughter, Kofi's art serves as a powerful connector.Kofi's passion for community building and spreading love stems from his belief in the importance of supporting one another and creating environments that foster endless possibilities.Kofi's Ghanaian roots influence his art through the use of vibrant colours and the way he interacts with people, emphasizing politeness and respect.Focusing on the backdrop to tell a story, Kofi's creative process involves adding a figure or face that fits the narrative as the final piece.Engaging conversations with his wife and children, playing sports like basketball and volleyball, and reading books, even if he doesn't always finish them, provide Kofi with escape and fun.
OUR HIGHs (NO LOWs)
[00:08:29] "I noticed the teacher coming. I realised that I didn't have time to, you know, hide my drawing. So, I just kept going. And to my surprise my teacher didn't actually get upset. In fact, she was really impressed." - Kofi shares a pivotal moment in his artistic journey.
[00:11:03] "The process in itself is for me, and then the artwork is for the world. Lucky for me when people see my artwork they find a connection." - Kofi explains how his creative process is personal, while his art connects with others.
[00:24:33] "When we create these environments that are conducive to love, learning, laughter and endless possibility, it just feels good” - Kofi discusses his passion for community building and how it relates to his art.
[00:32:45] "I feel like there's definitely a strong connection between Ghana and Nigeria. Um, obviously, you know Ghana must go and Nigeria must go. That's in the past. But right now, I feel like we're definitely family." - Kofi highlights the connection between Ghana and Nigeria, recommending Nigeria as the next destination for 54Lights.
FIND AND FOLLOW 54LIGHTS
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crowd54/
Email guest referrals, comments and stories to kondwani@54lights.com (feedback welcome…complaints and hate, not so much)
54Lights is committed to illuminating the African experience...one story (brush stroke) at a time. 

WHAT TO EXPECT...WHEN YOU PUSH PLAY
In this episode, we relive some great experiences from our first 99 episodes...calling out the many highs from seasons and journey's past. Most poignantly, host Kondwani Mwase pays homage to the audience and artists (creatives) who have made our firat 100 episodes remarkably special. each wildly wonderful in their own right.
MUSIC
Dis O Dat by Cassa: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1qVqyeTICpuu938EF2Lxon?si=EGvVjgA0SbCxMSzy2TvISQ
FIND AND FOLLOW 54LIGHTS
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crowd54/
Email guest referrals, comments and stories to kondwani@54lights.com (feedback welcome…complaints and hate, not so much)
54Lights is committed to illuminating the African experience...one story (beat) at a time. 

WHAT TO EXPECT...WHEN YOU PUSH PLAY
Kondwani interviews entrepreneur Lola Adeyemi, founder of It's Souper, an Afrofusion gourmet meal company selling flavourful soups, sauces and spices. Hear Lola's inspiring story of leaving medical school in Nigeria to follow her creative passions, moving to Canada, building a career in tech, then creating her food brand to bring authentic African flavours to the mainstream market. Learn how she empowers people to appreciate diverse cultures through delicious food.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Lola felt restricted in medical school and craved outlets for her creativity, leading her to pivot careers.Getting an e-commerce course assignment to identify a business gap inspired Lola's food brand idea.Lola aims to make African food accessible and appreciated by all, not just relegated to ethnic stores.Quality control and ensuring authentic flavours are critical when scaling up production.Lola had to overcome fears of pricing her value-added product too low due to self-limiting beliefs.Taking smart risks requires getting comfortable with the fear of failure.Lola successfully got her African food brand into mainstream stores with coveted shelf space.
BEST MOMENTS
5:26 "I felt like being in medical school wasn't creative enough for me." 
16:50 "When Africans don't have the opportunity to tell their stories...then somebody else is going to take ownership of that story." 
28:16 "My will to succeed is much greater than my fear of failure." 
28:28 "If something doesn't scare you...maybe your dreams are not big enough." 
VALUABLE RESOURCES
https://itssouper.com/https://54lights.com/

ABOUT THE HOST
Kondwani Mwase | Host & Creator
‘The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.’  – Jean-Jacques Rousseau
For most of my life, I have been obsessed with relationships. I have worked, watched and wondered about the complex nature of human interaction. Originally, my interest laid in the narrative…more specifically, I was driven to understand what was happening. Increasingly, my curiosity has been inspired by the underlying motivations behind events…why it happens. It is this curiosity that motivates me.
My professional journey led me to the field of marketing and the exercise of selling in the service of brands. Over the years, I’ve learned that the true currency is working in the service of people. Finding ways to understand how to cultivate meaningful relationships with them….and making them “happy”. I leveraged my skills as a mass marketer to reach a different audience with a different message. As such, The Warehouse Magazine became my passion. I founded the publication to try and build a community for the conscientious. It was my first business, my first foray into media and, in some ways, my first love. And its eventual retirement left me wanting. Leaving me with a feeling of unfinished business.
FIND AND FOLLOW 54LIGHTS
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crowd54/
Email guest referrals, comments and stories to kondwani@54lights.com (feedback welcome…complaints and hate, not so much)

WHAT TO EXPECT...WHEN YOU PUSH PLAY
In this episode, Kondwani interviews Khulekani Msweli, a fashion designer, artist, entrepreneur and activist from Eswatini. Khulekani discusses returning to Eswatini after studying abroad to give back to his community through art and community development projects. He shares how art can speak truth to power and reflect societal issues. Khulekani also talks about building appreciation for the arts in Eswatini and making it a viable career option.
LEAN IN, LISTEN UP...AND LEARN
Khulekani name means "collective prayer" which embodies his Christian upbringing and personal philosophies.He currently lives in northeast Eswatini running his design and art-based business.Khulekani works in various artistic media like sculpture and performance art with no limits on expression.He uses art to reflect political and societal happenings in Eswatini.Arts are still very much on a growth trajectory in some African countries.Art means different things to different people and it’s important to remember this as a creative. Living as a successful artist in Eswatini encourages youth to pursue creative careers.In high school, Khulekani’s tutors guided him to study fashion design while pursuing his art interests.Fashion is one of the easier artistic routes to enter, particularly regarding finances. Art is Khulekani’s highest form of expression, there are no limits when he is creating. He set up a fashion and art-based business in Eswatini after studying abroad.Khulekani is involved in community development projects through his parents' foundation.
BEST MOMENTS..OUR HIGHs (NO LOWs)
11:18 “[Art]It’s allowed me to express a lot of what’s happening in the community in my country”
12:56 "Art and politics tend to go hand in hand." 
13:23 "Art reflects society of the day. It could be good politics, it could be bad politics."
13:48 "Art is a great tool for speaking truth to power." 
17:13 "I took it upon myself to say, you know what, I'll be that person...which even the kids can say, well if Khulekani can make it in Eswatini, well maybe mom and dad do allow me to give it a go." 
19:24 "At the back of my mind I just wanted something where I would literally be able to start my own business”
FIND & FOLLOW - Resources and more
https://www.instagram.com/khulekani_msweli/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crowd54/
Email guest referrals, comments and stories to kondwani@54lights.com 
54Lights is committed to illuminating the African experience...one story at a time. 

WHAT TO EXPECT...WHEN YOU PUSH PLAY
Kondwani interviews Juno award-winning artist Garth Prince, who shares his journey from Namibia to building a music community in Canada. With infectious rhythms and cross-cultural sounds, Garth describes how creating music became his pathway to preserve his African roots. Listen as Garth unpacks his evolution from focusing solely on Namibian music to welcoming diverse influences. 
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Music provided Garth a way to hold onto his Namibian roots and “keep that spirit alive” after moving to Canada. He started by playing shows then realised his sound resonated most with kids, which ultimately shaped his career direction.Garth measures success not by accolades but by those moments in rehearsals or shows when he feels he is home, he tries to “bottle” these feelings of being transported back.Though Garth led song ideas initially, his process has evolved to be collaborative based on audience response. If students don’t like a new song, he’s “okay with shelving that” because the community helps decide.Having lost his African languages and traditions over time, moving to Canada gave Garth a renewed sense of wanting to reconnect with his culture. Though geography limits full immersion now, music became his pathway to hold on to it.Garth used to firmly identify himself as Namibian but now embraces his hybrid identity. After being in Canada since 2008, he even jokes, “when people ask me, where are you from? I say, I’m from Edmonton.”Collaborating with other African immigrant artists has helped Garth form a community in Edmonton while expanding his sound, such as learning Swahili lyrics from a friend. An influx of black music and artists embracing their identity in the 90s initially drew Garth to music and made him feel “I can sing too.” He recognises this dream coming full circle through connecting with pioneers like Canada’s Maestro Fresh Wes.
BEST MOMENTS
07:22 “There’s that feeling of what the show feels like, I almost have to stop and just for a second...say, man, this is, I’m back home right now.”
8:56 "It can be very overwhelming. So sometimes I would just let the band play a little bit and I could just take that, that space and when nobody knows, but in that moment, it's, it's just a sense of gratefulness or that, that I feel in that moment." 
18:00 “They [the children] responded the way you would typically expect in Namibia”
18:35 “And then after that, I went back to the drawing board with a band and I said, Listen, the intentions I had for this, that building that sense of community, you know, with the music reminding me of back home, these school shows reminded me more of that”
ABOUT THE HOST
Kondwani Mwase | Host & Creator
For most of my life, I have been obsessed with relationships. I have worked, watched and wondered about the complex nature of human interaction. Originally, my interest laid in the narrative…more specifically, I was driven to understand what was happening. Increasingly, my curiosity has been inspired by the underlying motivations behind events…why it happens. It is this curiosity that motivates me.
My professional journey led me to the field of marketing and the exercise of selling in the service of brands. Over the years, I’ve learned that the true currency is working in the service of people. Finding ways to understand how to cultivate meaningful relationships with them….and making them “happy”. I leveraged my skills as a mass marketer to reach a different audience with a different message. As such, The Warehouse Magazine became my passion. I founded the publication to try and build a community for the conscientious. It was my first...

WHAT TO EXPECT...WHEN YOU PUSH PLAY
In this quick episode of 54Bites we are joined in virtual studio by our newest intern Navi Kahlon. Navi, who has roots in Tanzania, joins us from the journalism program at Toronto Metropolitan University. As our Brand Partnerships intern, Navi is leading the charge with great strategic relationships we're crafting and cultivating at the broadcast.
In our latest quick hit, we introduce our relationship with Malawi's Capital Radio. That station, based in Blantyre, Malawi, will play our content on its airways 1-2 times each week for the next year. And while there's more to come on this relationship, we're amazed and excited to share the news.
NAVI's PICKS
And there IS more....have a listen to find out the episodes that Navi chooses are her heartwarming favourites.
Outspoken with Tiana Conley What's in a Name with all our guests - a spotlight on the naming journey
FIND AND FOLLOW 54LIGHTS
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crowd54/
Email guest referrals, comments and stories to kondwani@54lights.com (feedback welcome…complaints and hate, not so much)
54Lights is committed to illuminating the African experience...one story (beat) at a time.