Today’s post is a little different, but not entirely. After all, Music is Poetry’s 1st cousin, isn’t it? On this note, I hope you allow me to introduce one of my favorite musicians Joy Ogunmakin.

Ayọ is a fantastic singer/songwriter. Her debut album, released in 2006, reached Double-Platinum status in France, Platinum and Gold in a few other European countries. It was released in America as well. The rest is history… Joy released her fifth record titled “Ayọ” in October this year. Currently, she is touring France with her music. That’s where we met last weekend. It was so much fun! One of the musical highlights of this trip was her concert at Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord, in Paris. It was epic! (as my daughter described it). However, music is more than a job for Joy. Initially, it helped her cope with a rather traumatic childhood caused mainly by her mum’s drug addiction. During the concert, she said: “I had to play music to overcome”.

I didn’t study writing at school. Writing wasn’t something I wanted to explore or even thought I could do, at first. Today, however, it is such an integral part of me that I cannot imagine not writing. Thankfully, I’ve met people who, intentionally or unintentionally, helped me and encouraged me to express myself in this way.  Ayọ is one of those people. We all have something to overcome. I don’t know exactly how far my pen is going to take me, but I also feel like I need to write to overcome so I do.

I have a feeling there’s something you also must do to overcome… What is it, and are you doing it? We may not be trained to do it & the circumstances may not be perfect. We might experience the lack of resources from time to time & 10.000 other reasons to not do what we know we should be doing. We may have 99 great reasons to fail, but we needn’t fail if we do what must be done to overcome. “Don’t be evil” as Google defines their corporate code of conduct, but do it whatever your ‘it’ might be…

If you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing, the right training, people and resources will find you… Let’s do it, and let’s overcome. 

Enjoy this short excerpt from Ayọ’s concert. Be inspired 😊