
When Bristol, England-based rapper MoYah received a call from a Portuguese phone number, he initially thought it would be a relative or friend on the other line. But to his surprise, it was a representative from RĆ”dio e TelevisĆ£o de Portugal.
MoYahās manager had submitted his upbeat hip-hop track āToo Much Sauceā for the annual Festival da CanĆ§Ć£o. As weeks went by, MoYah almost forgot heād even sent it ā that is, until RTP called with good news. Now, the Lisbon-raised artist is just a few days away from competing in the festivalās first semi-final on Saturday, Feb. 25.
āI didnāt even know how to react,ā he recalled. āI was delighted.ā
Born in Mozambique and raised in Portugal after his family fled during their home countryās civil war, MoYah started writing poems at a young age as a way of expressing himself, and that eventually turned into rap. As an adult, MoYah moved to the United Kingdom to pursue his music career and currently leads an artist mentoring program in Bristol.
Music is more than entertainment for MoYah. Through rap and Afrobeats music, he addresses issues relating to identity, social injustices and spirituality from the perspective of a child of the African diaspora.
Today, weāre excited to welcome MoYah for a Q&A with ESC United as we await Saturdayās semi-final.
How does it feel to be participating in Festival da CanĆ§Ć£o?
In Portugal, itās a big thing, so you kind of grow up watching it with your family. Itās an amazing platform, so for me to even be considered as a contestant in Festival da CanĆ§Ć£o is such an honor!
Who are some of your favorite artists whoāve competed in Festival da CanĆ§Ć£o and Eurovision?
There are artists I like for different reasons. Before my time, in 1967, there was a singer of African origin named Eduardo Nascimento. It was really good for me to see someone like that, in terms of representation, and his song was really beautiful. I absolutely loved Maroās song āsaudade, saudade.ā I also really loved the energy of Pongo & Tristany at Festival da CanĆ§Ć£o 2022. Also, of course, the Portoguese Eurovision winner in 2017, Salvador Sobral. His voice is ridiculous. I loved Michael Schulteās song for Germany in 2018. āYou Let Me Walk Aloneā was a beautiful song with beautiful lyrics.
Tell us a little bit about the story behind your song, āToo Much Sauce.ā
Itās interesting, because sometimes when you create something, you donāt think about the demographics of your listeners and how they will perceive it. Saying ātoo much sauceā is a very common term, itās like slang for too much drip, style or swagger. But when I saw reactions from the Portuguese audience, they were like, āToo much sauce? Whatās he talking about? Ketchup, mayonnaise, olive oil?ā They thought it was literal.
I sometimes try to create music for a young MoYah, and what he would like to listen to, and how the music I create would impact him. Ultimately, Iām trying to create music thatās uplifting, energetic and empowering, and displays representation. Thereās a lot of us in society who donāt feel fully embraced for various reasons. It could be because of our race, color of our skin, sexuality, sexual orientation, religious views, whatever it is ā and when you feel secluded, you can start to lose hope, trust in yourself and self-value. This song is for anybody who has felt segregated, not fully embraced, or misunderstood, to remind them they have too much sauce. They have this beautiful light that resides inside them. Weāre all super valuable, regardless of society or how you feel about yourself.
And then there are also references to me being a Mozambican, a migrant and a refugee. I really want to amplify the voices of those who have experienced displacement and trauma because of wars. All around the world, this is taking place. Millions of people are impacted and I want to represent the voice of those people.
Why is it important to you to use your platform in such a meaningful way?
Itās important to amplify voices that are not being heard, to break down stereotypes. Iām really into community cohesion. Sometimes when we donāt understand each other, thatās when stereotypes exist and division can take place. The more we break barriers, we see that there are so much more similarities than differences, and differences should be celebrated. A vibrant society is one that consists of people with different views, different walks of life, different tastes.
Your songās style and genre stand out in this yearās lineup. What is your sound inspired by?
As an artist, you try to create art that reflects you, but humans are so multi-layered. Iām so many things. Iām Portuguese; I was raised in Portugal. But Iām of Mozambican descent and I was born in Africa. Iām a rapper and my parents were singers. Iām a refugee, and now I live in the U.K. On āToo Much Sauce,ā I start the first verse in English, which is the language Iām most comfortable expressing myself in. But then I wanted to touch on the fact that I am Portuguese. So the second verse is in Portuguese. God-willing, if this were to win and even go to Eurovision, I want people to know, āhe raps in English and Portuguese.ā
Iām really inspired by Afrobeats. Thereās hip-hop elements, afrobeats elements, itās like an amalgamation of musical genres. In terms of musicians, there are so many to mention. From old-school rappers Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli to Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole. Equally, I love the new wave of Afrobeats, reggae, and more traditional Afro-Portuguese music. I love old-school artists such as Bonga, and I also love Fela Kuti, Bob Marley, Michael Jackson. If the music is good, I appreciate it!
Last year, we got to see a hip-hop song win Eurovision, and a rock song the year before. How do you feel about the diversity of genres represented in the contest?
A lot of times, you associate Eurovision with a specific sound or tempo, which is absolutely cool, but the musical diversity that exists is not always reflected in spaces like Eurovision. I was really happy to see Pongo in Festival da CanĆ§Ć£o, and even in Eurovision, youāre starting to see more diversity. I think thatās really, really important. Whether I win or not, for me to be present is important, especially for future artists and emerging musicians who feel that maybe their music wouldnāt be understood or received well at Festival da CanĆ§Ć£o. The more we are able to push boundaries, the more it becomes open for every genre of music.
How do you spend your time when youāre not making music?
I love traveling. I come from a family of chefs and my wife is an amazing cook, so I love tasting new food. I love meeting new people, exploring new places. I like to be immersed in a whole culture ā the food, the arts, everything. I love watching film, spending time with my plants and in nature, and reading.
Whatās on your travel bucket list?
Iāve had the honor of visiting many places. There are many places Iād still like to travel to. Iād love to visit Ethopia, especially older cities like Lalibela. Iād love to go to Brazil and Jamaica.
What other plans do you have coming up this year outside of Festival da CanĆ§Ć£o?
Iām headlining a show at a venue in Lisbon called Musicbox on March 9. Iām also going to be shooting a brand new video for āToo Much Sauceā while Iām in Portugal. Iām so excited, weāve got a whole bunch of talented dancers. Itās really a lot of fun to work with such talented creatives. Iām working on some tours in Europe, Dubai and Mozambique. Iāve only done one show there, so weāre hoping to arrange a full tour. I left there as a child when I was 2 years old and Iāve returned as an adult, but havenāt had the opportunity to properly tour as an artist, so I would love that.
Lastly, Iām working on an EP that should come out this year!
What message would you like to share with fans?
Keep radiating your beautiful light, have faith in yourself. Sometimes, what we believe and how we view things is whatās manifested, so if you think the world is rubbish and everyoneās a bad person, thatās all your subconscious mind will see. Now, more than ever, is a good time for us to come together.
Are #YOU team MoYah for Portugal? Let us know on social media @ESCUnited, on our discord, or on our forum page. Stay connected with MoYah on Instagram and Spotify.