Gaddiel Mvutu on his journey and the importance of being connected to the highest order.
Please could you introduce yourself?
I am Gaddiel, Franco - Congolese, a multidisciplinary artist based in London. I grew up in Paris and moved to London 7 years ago.
I'm part of an artist collective called Noesisx. I also produced a podcast called Blacktree and created a well-being brand called Yassu.
How did you become a creative artist/dancer? Please tell us something about your journey.
I have always been surrounded by music and dance due to my Congolese heritage. Music and dance are a massive part of our DNA, so I've been introduced to movement from a young age.
I started my journey at the age of fourteen years old at my church when I was part of the artistic team, and then I created my crew, called ''SOFLY'', with my friends. We specialized in hip hop, and from there, we entered competitions and won a few prizes.
I always wanted to push my career further and learn other styles, so I joined a school in Paris where I learned ballet, contemporary, jazz, singing, and acting. After that, I had the opportunity to study in London, and I grabbed it with my two hands, moved to the UK, and stayed here ever since.
Describe the best performance you've ever put on. What did you learn from it?
I don't think I have a "best performance" I enjoyed all my experiences, from working with Kanye West to Stormzy, Jax Jones, Burna Boy, doing the BET awards, etc. Maybe I'm the proudest of putting together my own show on stage with my dancers. I learned a lot from it. I learned how to carry a vision from start to end, articulate your ideas, and pass on your visions into other people's bodies, which can be quite complicated. Luckily I had the best cast I could ever imagine and they made the experience very beautiful and enjoyable.
How do you approach the creation process? What do you draw inspiration from?
Depending on the project the approach can change, I ask myself those questions :
What is the end goal?
What can I bring to the project?
What is my opinion on it?
What am I trying to say?
How do I want to say it? For who?
Does what I'm trying to say make sense?
All these questions help me have the best possible approach to create.
I draw my inspiration from my own life, experiences, culture, parents, family, and music that I am listening to, but God is the best inspiration ever. It's really important for me to be connected to the highest order to deliver what he/she puts inside me.
Recently you worked on the award winning experimental short film ‘‘Flux” by DFTCNT. How was this experience could you tell us more about it?
The process was incredible. I had the chance to work on this project as an assistant movement director.
Flux is not a dance piece. It's a piece that uses strong, dynamic movement (sometimes including dance) to forge a dramatic, slow motion, unfolding tableau.
We worked on different tableaus with different artists (martial artists, dancers, singers, actors) who were given specific tasks on camera. The slow-motion brings drama to the piece and emphasizes the small movement that a face/body can make, which we don't get to see with our own eyes in real-time.
The artists that we worked with were very responsive, which made the process go smoother and even more enjoyable.
Winning 25 international film awards it's incredible! The team and I are proud of what we created together and the love that Flux received!
What's the biggest challenge you've faced in the industry?
I think one of the biggest challenges I had to face was rejection, as it can get tough. When it comes to castings, you are
always judged, compared with others, choosing over someone else or someone else choosing over you, as clients want the best for the job. But don't get me wrong, it's the life we choose, but if you're not strong enough in your mind, the rejection you're sometimes facing can affect you mentally.
Working hard and being the best version of ourselves is the best way to overcome this, and if you're not chosen, it means that it is not for you. We all get to shine, just not at the same time.
What advice would you give to an aspiring creative?
The advice I would give is to know yourself, who are you? Where are you from? Be yourself and do what you want, not let anyone tell you that you can't do this or that. And to love yourself and choose yourself. Treat others like you would like to be treated.
Photography Chesco Perez