Joya Mooi is one of my findings from way back when I heard & immediately fell in love with Room Eleven (and their lead singer Janne Schra) and that led to many more super talented Dutch female artists.

Joya's brand new single "Rice in Foil" is pure gorgeousness, so light & so deep at the same time, with her flowing vocals & catchy beatwork. There's quite a story behind it:

I grew up in the Netherlands, in the aftermath of fathers exile from South Africa due to the Apartheid regime. As the only kid of color in my class, I always felt like the outsider. While observing my classmates, I noticed that my lunch box was different, their concept of me and my family was different from the reality. My sister always told me to ignore people and to just believe that my life was for me, but I was and I’m still so sensitive. So this song is acknowledging this sentiment of being an outcast and giving space to a strong longing for equality from a young age, influenced by my own experiences.

And the music video is the right amount of moody & really gets to your heart:

posted by Nasko
March 2019