We had the good fortune of connecting with Kanwulia and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kanwulia, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
This is always such a loaded question because I was born in the US to an American mother and a Nigerian father but moved to Nigeria when I was 6/7 years old. I identify as a Nigerian woman but I would be lying if I said my mom’s culture didn’t contribute to who I am today. A lot of people think African-American (black) culture is the same as African culture as it isn’t. I like to think that the development of Victoria, the individual, and Kanwulia, the artist, is a space where both of the cultures meet and coexist.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art is very specific. Everything I produce, where shots are placed in a music video and runs I decided not to include in the verse is INTENTIONAL. I am very hands-on and I pride myself on that. I’m not just showing up to set or rehearsal not knowing what’s going on, the concept, the imagery, the design. I am a very type-A person so I feel like that serves me well in this industry. Getting to this point wasn’t easy by any means. While being type-A brought very close attention to detail, sometimes that attention to detail turned into procrastination and self-doubt. So coupled with an already intense industry, you can be your own worst enemy sometimes. I’ve had to learn to let go and embrace imperfection because there is beauty in it! Never think “no one is gonna want to see that”, there is always someone wanting to see anything you create. Just do it!

I want the world to know that I’m not a quitter, Covid shattered all the plans I had back in 2020 and it’s only human to wonder how my life would’ve been different but everything happens for a reason. No matter what I go through, no matter what happens, I do not quit so neither should you.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Mmm, this is a little difficult because I’m more of a homebody than I’d like to admit. But a nice week for me would involve the beach or pool, a nice dinner at Stoney River, maybe a wine tasting/ pampering getaway at Chateau Elan. The Botanical Gardens and a picnic in the park, maybe stop by Apache Cafe and enjoy an open mic night.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Volkano Productions, my label, definitely deserves a shoutout. They allow me the freedom and space I need to create authentically and a lot of artists don’t have the liberty to do that. So I’m extremely grateful for them. My parents, friends, and family also give me the energy I need to keep going.

Website: www.kanwulia.com

Instagram: @kanwulia_

Twitter: @kanwulia_

Facebook: @itskanwulia

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/kanwulia

Other: For booking info, please contact: Diana at volkanoproductions@gmail.com

Image Credits
@yungceophoto @iam_johnokhay

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.