On this episode of Mind Massage, Awich takes us on a sound journey using some of her favorite items such as Japanese snacks, sage, seltzer and more!
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00:00Peace, this is A-W-I-C-H, A-W-I-C-H, and I'm from Japan, and welcome to my mind massage.
00:15I'm going to take you on a sound journey using some of my favourite things.
00:38These are my crystals and the sage leaves.
00:45I'm travelling right now from Japan, now in LA, and I have a lot of crystals back home.
00:53And sometimes I take a couple of the crystals that I feel like I'm taking with me.
01:01And these are the ones that I brought today.
01:07Amethyst, and this one, Rose Quartz.
01:16And this is Tera... TeraHertz.
01:23TeraHertz?
01:26It's TeraHertz, I think.
01:30But in Japanese we call it TeraHertz.
01:35This is like, it's vibrating all the crystals.
01:40Very small vibration, vibrating at its own rate.
01:45And it's supposed to give you energy and certain types of emotions and feelings.
01:52And also I like just to look at the colours and to see them in my person.
01:59When I forget that I have it, it makes me happy.
02:03Like, oh, you're here, alright.
02:06And this one I bought in my trip here.
02:12This is Black Kyanite.
02:16Black Kyanite.
02:18I'm called it with titanium.
02:21And I love this blue colour, like rainbow blue colour.
02:26So I picked it up.
02:29And another one that I like is the Sage.
02:33It smells so good.
02:38I also like looking at the fire.
02:44Because human beings are the only animals that can play with fire.
02:50And because of the fact that we can play with fire,
02:54we are able to accomplish so many things that is larger than our physical design.
03:00That makes us one of the most powerful beings on earth.
03:08And also without tools like this, I'm reminded that we are not that strong.
03:17So as a reminder, I like to look at fire and smoke.
03:31I'm from this small island called Okinawa.
03:35And it's part of Japan, but it used to be a kingdom.
03:40Japan came to Okinawa one day and took over.
03:44We became part of Japan.
03:46But after the World War II, Okinawa was given to America.
03:51So my father and my mom's era, when they were growing up in Okinawa, it was America.
03:59We had to have passports to go to mainland Japan.
04:03And we had different currency than Japan.
04:07So the culture is all mixed in that small island of Okinawa.
04:14We still have a lot of American people there because of the military bases.
04:19And that's where I grew up.
04:22Okinawan people love to drink and dance.
04:30And have fun.
04:32Very festive people.
04:36That's where I'm from.
04:38The first encounter of hip-hop music was when I encountered Tupac.
04:48And his music, the first album I listened to was Ola's Only Album.
04:56I was just so captivated by it.
04:58I went through all his lyrics and all his interviews and all his movies.
05:04All of his speeches at community centers and things like that.
05:09And my motivation to learn English was to try to understand what he's saying.
05:18And what he's trying to communicate to the world.
05:21So that was my motivation to learn English.
05:28Even all the way there in Okinawa, small island of Okinawa, Tupac reached the youth.
05:38So my inspiration comes from his showing his strength and also vulnerability.
05:47Also his love for the community.
05:51And I want to do the same thing for the youth in Okinawa, in Japan, and all over Asia to inspire them.
06:01When I first encountered rap music, I was already calling myself a rapper.
06:10I was 14. I was walking around.
06:13Not a lot of people knew back then what a rapper is.
06:19But I decided that I was going to be a rapper when I was 14.
06:23When I first heard rap music.
06:26And I was just walking around chatting with everybody.
06:29And one people led to the other people.
06:33And I was knocking on the door of a record shop.
06:45And they took care of me for recording songs.
06:50And helped me book events.
06:53Like day events because I was so little.
06:56And things like that.
06:58So when I heard it, I already decided that I wanted to do this.
07:02On my name, I decided to call myself a which.
07:09I carry my jewelry in this case.
07:15I'm wearing almost all my jewelry that I brought.
07:20So I'm going to take it off and give you the sound.
07:34I like to wear a lot of rings.
07:36And I like yellow golds.
07:44This one.
08:02This one.
08:03This bracelet.
08:05I just bought it in LA.
08:08It's Alex Moss.
08:11This pretty bracelet.
08:15It's so pretty.
08:18I like golds and diamonds.
08:20I like yellow golds and diamonds.
08:23Last but not least, this one.
08:25It's one of my favorite things.
08:29It's my name in kanji.
08:32Which is a Chinese character that is used in Japanese language.
08:38It's a weird Chinese character that is used in Japanese language.
08:43But Chinese character is used in a lot of Asian languages.
08:50If you didn't know.
08:52How do you know?
08:54How do you know?
08:57First Coachella performance.
08:59It was awesome.
09:01It was with 88rising, Future Stage.
09:06And with a lot of artists from Japan, Korea, and China.
09:12All together in one stage.
09:14And some of us collaborated.
09:18It was just a feeling of unity.
09:24Like everybody's coming together.
09:27And the people who were there gave us so much love.
09:31And it was just so beautiful.
09:34It was a beautiful moment.
09:36If my life had a soundtrack.
09:39What would be the first track?
09:42I have this song called Queendom.
09:46And in that song I talk about the story of me being born in Okinawa.
09:54To go into America.
09:56And I was married.
09:58I had my daughter.
10:01And I quit music when I did that.
10:06And just became a wife and a mom and a student.
10:10Going to school.
10:12And my husband, when my daughter was 3 years old, he was murdered.
10:19And I went into depression.
10:23But I promised my daughter that I would get back on my feet.
10:27And I promised my daughter that I would show her what happiness is.
10:33And that I would be the best at whatever I do.
10:37I would show her how to live.
10:41And now, I'm doing that.
10:45And in the song of Queendom, I talk about this whole process.
10:51My whole journey of me.
10:54Where I'm coming from.
10:56And my affirmation of where I'm going.
11:01And what I'm going to do with my life.
11:03So, definitely that song to start.
11:10The chips.
11:13I don't really like to eat candies.
11:17Like, I don't really like sweet, like sugary stuff.
11:22But my go-to snack is the chips.
11:26I just like crunchy...
11:32Things.
11:34I like crunchy things.
11:41I like crunchy things.
11:52We do it the civilized way.
11:57Chips.
12:11I like chips from Asian countries.
12:15Because they got some weird flavors.
12:20This one is roasted garlic and oyster flavors.
12:31And it's good.
12:33Very garlicky.
12:36I don't think you can kiss anybody after you eat this.
12:43I'm good.
12:45I'm not kissing nobody.
12:51It's so good.
12:56Being a mom is actually the best thing.
13:01Best thing that happened to me.
13:04It taught me how to love without fear.
13:07I think before my daughter.
13:09Love, to love somebody was like a game.
13:12You don't know how much love you want to give to somebody.
13:17If you don't know if it's going to be returned to you.
13:21So, it's always like this.
13:24Give and take.
13:26But, when my daughter came out of me.
13:31I realized this girl.
13:33This being loves me with no fear.
13:36She need me to be here.
13:40She will love me forever.
13:45That's when I learned to give love without fearing.
13:49If I'm going to get it back.
13:51I can't lie.
13:53When I did have her.
13:55When I was 20 years old.
13:57When I conceived her.
13:59At that time, it was 15 years ago.
14:02At that time, I felt like my career was over.
14:05I didn't feel like I could continue.
14:09With my motherhood and career at the same time.
14:13When I think back.
14:16Yes, I could.
14:18I think I could do it.
14:20It was just me thinking that I can't do it.
14:23If I put my mind to it.
14:25I probably could.
14:26And I did.
14:27I got back on my feet.
14:29Now, I'm on top of my game.
14:35I got the best daughter in the world.
14:37She's smart.
14:39She's a leader.
14:42She's outgoing.
14:44She's helping.
14:47It's possible.
14:50It affects each other.
14:52It gives great energy to each other.
14:56Working in the motherhood.
15:00I think that was a myth.
15:03If a woman became a mom.
15:06She can't work anymore.
15:08Everybody knows that now.
15:10But back then, I didn't know.
15:13The myth is busted now.
15:17All these big moments.
15:20Of course.
15:22Are milestones.
15:24Me doing tours.
15:26Me doing arenas.
15:28And bigger arenas.
15:30Of tens of thousands of people.
15:32Solo shows.
15:33And making it to big festivals.
15:35Like Coachella.
15:37Of course, it's fulfilling moments.
15:40I just love my team and my fans.
15:42For supporting me.
15:44But it's just little things.
15:47My fans coming up to me.
15:49Crying.
15:50And telling me how.
15:52One of their loved ones passed away.
15:54But my music helped them go through it.
15:59How one of my interviews.
16:01Gave them realization.
16:03Of what they really want to do in their lives.
16:05And they decided to do it.
16:08And they are happy that they did it.
16:11Things like that.
16:12Is what really.
16:14We are all doing the music for.
16:16To help somebody find meaning.
16:18Of their lives.
16:20Their lives or their times.
16:22On this planet.
16:23That's the most fulfilling moment.
16:30I was just so thirsty.
16:51Don't worry.
16:53I'm not going to pour it on the mic.
16:59Can you hear?
17:01The bubbles?
17:21Feels so good.
17:23On my throat.
17:29Okay.
17:31On my perfect day off.
17:33I'm in my home island.
17:35Okinawa.
17:37We'll go to the jungle.
17:41And we'll find a waterfall.
17:43And we'll just be naked.
17:47And swim.
17:50And jump off the rocks.
17:52Into the waterfall.
17:54Because I like jumping.
17:56Off the rock.
17:58And I like diving.
18:00Into the water.
18:02And just chill.
18:04Look at the bugs.
18:06And how they live their lives.
18:08Go up in the jungle.
18:10A little bit further.
18:12Crazy looking rocks.
18:14Crazy looking butterflies.
18:16And things like that.
18:19If I had to have another career.
18:21For a day.
18:23I would be a writer.
18:25For books.
18:27Novels.
18:29As a matter of fact.
18:31I'm writing a novel.
18:33About this girl.
18:35That's from Okinawa.
18:37It's science fiction.
18:39A mystery about.
18:41The computers.
18:43And the devices.
18:45And the spirits.
18:48My best self love.
18:50Advice is.
18:52Understand yourself.
18:54Everybody just speak about.
18:56Love yourself.
18:58You can't love nothing.
19:00You don't understand.
19:02Because I feel like.
19:04The love is the highest form of understanding.
19:06Know yourself.
19:08Talk to yourself.
19:10And understand yourself.
19:12And that's how you'll love yourself.
19:14So the tools could be like.
19:16Reading diaries.
19:18Talking to your family.
19:20And things like that.
19:22But if you don't speak.
19:24Your mind.
19:26Or how you're feeling.
19:28Your emotions.
19:30Most of the cases.
19:32You don't really understand yourself.
19:34And you don't really know what you want.
19:36And you can't give you what you want.
19:38If you don't know what you want.
19:40I mean this is.
19:42This is me telling myself.
19:44I feel in the habit of.
19:46Understanding myself.
19:48Writing all the time.
19:50Diaries and journals.
19:52And fortunately.
19:54This is my work.
19:56To understand myself.
19:58And human being.
20:00And what love is.
20:02And what life is.
20:04And put it into work.
20:06It's my work.
20:08I'm happy.
20:10I'm blessed to be in this position.
20:12I recommend everybody to write diaries and journals.
20:20In Japan.
20:22I'm known to have.
20:24Gold nails.
20:26All the time.
20:28Because.
20:30I'm alchemist.
20:32I love the science of alchemy.
20:36But the trick is.
20:38If you want gold.
20:42You become the gold.
20:44If you want changes.
20:46In your surroundings.
20:48You become the change.
20:50If you want somebody.
20:52To grow.
20:54You grow.
20:56So I wear gold.
20:58As a reminder of that.
21:04Thank you so much.
21:06For coming to my mind massage.
21:08This is Awitch.
21:10I'm signing out.
21:12Peace.