Thoughts About Prince.s Des Villes
Introducing a special collaboration with the Instagram-based media platform. In podcast form for the first time ever and I was the host!
Back in the fall of 2020, in the height of the second big wave of COVID-19 and just before I fell victim to the virus myself, my friend Margot hit me up about a project she had started and wanted me to participate in.
Dubbed Prince.s des Villes –literally translating to Princes/Princesses of Town– this personal endeavor consisted of a series of recorded interviews featuring creative people from many different cities with the aim to go beyond their professional journey in the truest possible way. I was going to be the opening guest.
Aside from the fact that I rambled for 2h and 45 minutes, giving Margot a hard time with editing down to her established format of maximum 3 and a half minute long videos, the Instagram-based media went on to successfully launch its first season just before Christmas.
After my debut episode, an array of game-changing individuals made an appearance and filled the digital room with their inspiring stories throughout 2021, elucidating the audience on how they made it in the industry and what pushed them to start something of their own.
There is a thread stringing all of these people’s stories together. They all convey a need for change, to disrupt their daily routine and manufacture a parallel reality. A reality where community is at the forefront and the pace is set by their own clock. All of the guest speakers made it on their own terms, with the goal to change their environment for the better.
If you have yet to check out this fantastic platform, I highly suggest you do so now as I believe we can all benefit from the tales of those who had the courage (and resilience) to start something from nothing (or very little resources).
Fast-forward to Spring 2022, Margot messaged me again. This time to make me the host of the new season of Prince.s De Villes. A season dedicated to the city of Amsterdam –her new home– and its cultural fervor, the protagonists of the scene and their dynamicity.
Obviously flattered, I accepted the assignment and flew over to the “Venice of the North” for a four-day long immersion into the underground history of the Dutch capital, eager to discover more about the brands and entrepreneurs that helped put it on the map in recent times.
What we were most curious to understand was the strong sense of support you can feel amongst the different collectives that make up the city’s creative pattern, which seem to be on a quest to authentically uplift each other as if they all worked towards the same goal.
During the course of an intense, interview-packed weekend spent mapping the bustling streets on a rental bike, speeding from location to location, recorder in hand, ready to unearth the secrets behind the city’s uncanny community spirit, Margot and I successfully recovered all the material needed to produce the season. The first one in the form of a podcast and editorial program in collaboration with this very newsletter!
We interviewed six outstanding personalities. Some were the representatives of a wider collective, some were stand-alone outliers. All of them are pivotal to the city’s advancement.
The majority of the interlocutors found themselves in Amsterdam almost by chance, either because their parents’ chose to move there or, conversely, they simply never left after completing their studies. Each one of them proved to have an intricate relationship with the city. A bond driven by passion and diversity, comfort and familiarity. Still, what drew them to settle was the access to a deeply stratified clash of cultures which are simultaneously able to coexist peacefully.
We sat down with Gunifort Uwambaga of Mendo, Eben Badu of The New Originals and Giano Codrington, founder of Demeanor and long-time member of Patta’s crew.
Via email, we chatted to Jesse and Stefanie of Sabato –a modern supper and catering service– as well as Carmen Atiyah de Baets, co-founder of Carmen Guesthouse & Shop.
The overall process, from selecting the guests and planning to the actual interviews and the final edit, was extremely informative. It was my first time as a podcaster and knowing I could pull it off gave me a boost of confidence.
Learning more about the lives of some old friends was energizing. Listening to the motives and aspirations of strangers reminded me why I love to interview people and write about them. At the same time, I was challenged to step out of my comfort zone and take on a more active role in the conversational process itself, meaning that I would have to fill in for any awkward silence that may occur, freestyling questions on the go.
With that said, I am extremely excited to introduce Things I Thought About x Prince.s Des Villes.
The interviews will slowly roll out on both platforms from tomorrow July 14th through August and I am proud to be the host. For a few weeks, you will have the luck to listen to my voice instead of simply reading my words.
Stay tuned and enjoy the ride :)