There are only a few weeks left to purchase our latest issue, with cover girl and influencer Didi-Stone Olomide.

The theme of this issue is to “reinvent oneself” after a year 2020 that was particularly difficult. We take a nice break in Sao Tome and Principe, and also  meet with artists and designers based in Italy.

© Tyssia

Something of a celebrity on the Rome drink scene, Fircy Manima Samba is the person to see for a cocktail when enjoying a night out in the Italian capital.

From trendy cocktail bars to hip nightclubs, by now Fircy has developed such a reputation that cocktail enthusiasts from all over the city will actually seek him out. “I like meeting people through this line of work. We come into contact with people from all over the world.” Beyond the classic cocktail menu, Fircy also serves up a series of original concoctions.

His speciality is the “Kinshasa,” a ginger-and-gin drink with just the right amount of celery. “I’ve never liked working with syrups. I prefer using fresh vegetables and fruits, which add freshness.”

For the complete article, purchase our sixth issue.

© Jane Badu

With the dawn of 2020 came all the hopes and dreams for a productive, happy, and healthy year ahead. But no one could have predicted the turmoil that would unfold in the months to follow. From a global health pandemic to protests over police brutality and racial injustice, life as we knew it was upended. Many of us were forced to postpone or let go of some of those aforementioned hopes and dreams. With the start of 2021, it is once again time to hit the reset button on our personal, financial, and creative life, as we navigate the continued uncertainty of our ever-evolving new normal. (more…)

In a spectacular reimagining of the Lion King Story, the July 2020 release of Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s full-length feature film Black is King could not have been more timely. As the world reeled around the tragic killing of George Floyd, and the rallying cry that Black Lives Matter, blackness has come under the spotlight in a way that has never been experienced before, and the film encapsulates the pervading mood of Black voices demanding true change and needing to tell their own stories their way. (more…)

For the past five years, the team behind Little Africa, have devoted themselves to changing the narrative of what it means to be a person of African descent in the world’s most visited city: Paris. And behind the rise of the Little Africa enterprise is its founder and CEO, Jacqueline NGO MPII.

One of their most successful endeavors is their City Guide book, a self-published compilation of over 200 Afro-Parisian boutiques, restaurants, businesses, events and artists in Paris.

Building on this success thus far, they are expanding their horizons with plans to open a multidisciplinary cultural and retail commercial space; a home to promote the dialogue between cultures and to showcase creators. This new space will serve as a home to showcase their beautiful publishing products that highlight African cultural heritage, a gathering point for their thematic guided tours in Paris, and a cultural and artistic space that welcomes locals and tourists from around the world to learn about and participate in the beauty of African culture. After months of searching and negotiating a lease – they have finally acquired a dream location in in the heart of La Goutte d’Or; a two-level multidisciplinary space/concept store that will serve as a HUB, a NETWORK, a SPACE, a COMMUNITY and a CULTURAL CENTER.

We invite you to be part of this exciting new project- a place for the local and global community to call home right here in Paris, by participating to the last stretch of this beautiful crowdfunding opportunity. Thank you!

Photo et video: Jasmine Van Hevel

Jeny Bonsenge and her student Anae

The Belgian dancer of Congolese origin, Jeny Bonsengue (@jenybsg), 26 years old, together with one of her young pupils, Anaé Romyns (@anae2mad), 10 years old, have been rubbing elbows with the stars ever since a video of one of their performances went viral last October. Three months later, the duo was chosen by Lobby magazine as recipients of their 2019 “buzz of the year” award. (more…)

© Hair Love

Directed by Matthew A. Cherry and co-produced with Karen Rupert Toliver, this seven-minute animated short film took home an Oscar last February. This cinematic gem owes its success to the originality of its subject matter, as well as the big splash it made on social media.

(more…)

The new issue of MOYI is available for pre-order.⠀
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Our cover lady is Malene Barnett, an artist, activist, founder of the Black Artists + Designers Guild,⠀
and designer of her eponymous carpet brand.⠀
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In this issue, we explore how colors can fill our homes with positive energy, as Malene Barnett and Eva Sonaike invite us into their colorful homes, which embody not only their roots, values and personal stories, but also their creativity. Featuring two distinct styles, these homes — one in New York, US and the other in London, UK — radiate positive energy, much like their owners.⠀
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You can now pre-order the print version (print copies will be sent from June 29th).⠀
Click the “shop” link in our website, order your copy and subscribe to MOYI.⠀
The digital and interactive version is available to read your magazine online.
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The cover was shot by David A. Land for MOYI⠀
Styling by Rebecca McEvoy, with make-up by Keanda Snagg.⠀
We can’t thank this team enough for this gorgeous cover!⠀