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Bringing Mental Health Into the Spotlight: An Interview with Musician RKZ

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Music is a demanding mistress but it is a platform that provides artists with a clear and influential voice. In a modern age where issues like mental health are still stigmatized and under-valued: what role can musicians play in raising awareness and discussion? Luton-born, London-based musician, Rikesh Chauhan (A.K.A, RKZ), is an ambassador for the charity CALM and is vocal and passionate with regards to highlighting the issue of mental illness, encouraging people to discuss it openly and help bring it into the light. Using his musician status as a platform for mental illness, RKZ was happy to discuss his charity role, his music and why London is his true home.

CALM is a charity you work with to help raise awareness and tackle misconceptions about mental illness. How did you come to be involved with them?

RKZ: I got in touch with them not too long after they set up in London. Suffering from depression for a long while, CALM was the first movement I saw that actually spoke to young men properly—without feeling intimidating or scary. I got involved and wanted to utilize my status (as a creative and musician in the U.K.) to help raise awareness with the audience I had. I performed at CALM events, wrote for the CALMzine and the website and started giving talks to young people and local communities to raise awareness of depression in young men. I still do a lot of that whenever an opportunity arises.

RKZ1

Many people suffer mental illness and find music is a tremendous outlet. The government is not, evidentially, investing enough in tackling mental health problems. What would be your message to them?

RKZ: Suicide is the biggest killer of men in the U.K. That hasn’t changed for a very long time. We need to start taking mental health seriously—it’s such a big issue and yet it keeps getting cuts, and it’s always swept under the rug. It doesn’t go away. You can’t hide from it, so let’s do something to change it now.

IN THIS PHOTO: RKZ IN SOHO PHOTO CREDIT: ALICE COOKE

Focusing more on your music, defined by its originality and diversity, which kind of artists were you subjected to growing up and can we expect to see any fresh music this year?

RKZ: We listened to anything and everything at home. Bob Marley to Sonu Nigam, Ray Charles to Usher; the Gershwins to The Rat Pack… and obviously a lot of Hip-Hop!

I’ve been working on a project called Somewhere in the Afterbeat. I’m currently half-way through recording it as we speak. I’ll be assessing the final records towards the end of summer. At this point, it could be a mixtape, an E.P. or an album. For now, though, let’s just call it a project!

Related articles: “ANXIETY AND OUR LIVES“ 

“‘BETTERHELP’ – EMERGING ONLINE MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING“

This year’s Mercury Prize nominations have just been unveiled; it is one of the most diverse and ethnically-wide list in many years. What are your views on the nominations?

RKZ: It’s awesome of course. Seeing Kano and Skepta nominated was obviously sick. But then, the Mercury Prize has always been quite good with diversity and just acknowledging good music. You’ve had the likes of Ghostpoet, Young Fathers; FKA twigs, Dizzee, Speech Debelle; Laura Mvula getting nominated in the past, so it’s not massively surprising considering how well Skepta and co have been doing recently.

It’s never been at the forefront of our country and I cannot for the life of me understand why that’s still the case.

 You hail from Luton. Is there quite a supportive scene in Luton? What is it about London (personally) that makes it so appealing to young musicians and creatives?

 RKZ: It’s true, I’ve never really understood it. Most of my support comes from outside of Luton—obviously with the exception of friends and family that live here. But all in all, I’ve never really received support from my hometown—it primarily comes from London, other parts of Europe (Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin specifically) and the States!

It’s (London) the epicentre of the arts. The best music, the best people; the biggest scene, gigs, the best support. It’s always in London. There’s such a diverse mix of arts and culture, and so much going on to be influenced by. No two days are ever the same in London and I think that plays a massive factor to creativity and creative influence.

For a full mindmap behind this article with articles, videos, and documents see #RKZ

RKZ 2 IN THE PHOTO : RKZ ON ALDGATE STREET, EAST LONDON PHOTO CREDIT: MR. ODIN

You have recently appeared on BBC Asian Network for Mental Health Awareness Week. Do you think mental illness gets overlooked as an illness and how important is it to destigmatize mental illness?

RKZ: It’s hard to really say, but I definitely believe more needs to be done to raise awareness of mental health, and of course, breaking the stigma. It’s never been at the forefront of our country and I cannot for the life of me understand why that’s still the case. A lot is being done now for sure, and more awareness is being raised —on the ground —but there’s a bigger issue at hand: national, international acknowledgement and breaking of stigma.

We need to start taking mental health seriously—it’s such a big issue and yet it keeps getting cuts, and it’s always swept under the rug.

Social media is a bit of a bitter-sweet platform in modern society. How helpful (or not) is social media in not only raising mental health awareness but acting as a tool for those who suffer?

RKZ: I pretty much live on social media, so my opinion of it will almost always be overwhelmingly positive. Social media obviously has very big flaws, but it also has great attributes. It’s a place to share personal experience, information and it’s good to seek help on. It’s also great for people that may need help but have severe social anxiety etc. Plus, CALM is very heavy on social and do a lot to help people online. Twitter specifically is a great platform for movements, and raising awareness. Getting people talking about mental health during Mental Health Awareness Week, and Movember, are just two great examples of why social media is important when utilised properly.

What does the rest of the year hold for you with regards your ambassador role? Where can people come and see you talk in the future?

RKZ: I try to give as many talks as possible, but they’re never planned too far in advance. The best thing is to stay updated by following me on Twitter. Any events that I’m performing at, or speaking at, plus all of my promotional works with CALM are posted there first! (@RKZUK)

For anybody keen to follow in your footsteps: what advice would you offer to them?

RKZ: Don’t take things too seriously and enjoy life – it’s so short. You’ll be knocked down a lot before you get to where you want to be. The key is to keep going and always look at the silver linings. They are always there, even if they’re really hard to find.

Follow RKZ and his work via: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

Recommended reading: “THE FIGURE OF THE MAD ARTISTIC GENIUS IS COMPELLING, BUT UNHELPFUL“,

“2015: THE YEAR MENTAL ILLNESS FINALLY GOT SOME RESPECT ON TV“

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 EDITOR’S NOTE: THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED HERE BY IMPAKTER.COM COLUMNISTS ARE THEIR OWN, NOT THOSE OF IMPAKTER.COM.
FEATURED IMAGE: RKZ  PHOTO CREDIT: MR. ODIN.

Interview with Rikesh Chauhan Instagram.com

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Started to go plastic free to highlight how to live a zero-waste lifestyle and good alternatives to favourite things. It aims to awake awareness about the plastic in our ocean in collaboration with the Icelandic Environment association Landvernd who’s role is to safeguard Icelandic nature. We will be donating all profit from the sale of Dimmblá’s necklaces to Landvernd in April to support the cause. Here’s how we started it. Kicking off on the 1st of February, I will be going plastic free for 30 days. But I won’t be going it alone. Meet my new Icelandic friend @eddahamar. We’ve actually never met, but we skyped a couple of days ago because we both work in sustainable fashion. We’re both shocked by the amount of plastics in our day-to-day lives so this challenge is an experiment to see if it’s possible to live plastic-free. The rules are simple; don’t buy or consume anything that’s packaged in plastic. Edda lives in Brisbane, Australia. I live in Reykjavík, Iceland. We’re 16,000kms apart. To keep us motivated throughout the month (and because we love a bit of friendly competition), we’ve decided to up the stakes. This is an #IcelandVsAustralia challenge. A #plasticpenalty will be issued for each item of plastic we use and will result in a dare (to be filmed and shared on social). It’s going to be a fun ride! Follow our progress via our insta stories: https://www.instagram.com/heidrunosks/ https://www.instagram.com/eddahamar/

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The food industry is coming under increasing scrutiny for its environmental impact, from greenhouse gas emissions, to excessive and detrimental land and water usage, to chemical pollution. Given the challenge of feeding a growing world population whilst simultaneously needing to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts, clearly we need to look at alternatives to “dinner as usual”. The contribution of livestock to global greenhouse emissions is estimated at between 14.5 – 18%. Fortunately, there are companies who are tackling this challenge head on and looking at how emissions from food production can be reduced. With consumer interest increasing in alternatives to meat and other protein sources, we’ve spoken to the founders of three companies. From the seemingly futuristic to the rediscovery of superfood trees, each company tackles this new drive in consumer interest in different ways.

Solar Foods, Finland

Dr Pasi Vainnika is the CEO and co-founder of Solar Foods. The slogan of the company is “Food out of thin air”. Pasi was formerly in charge of the single largest renewable energy program in Finland. However, when he found out that 20-25% of the emissions come from food, he realized that emissions from this sector needed to be addressed, as well as those in the energy sector. But with the growth in affordable and renewable energy – particularly solar energy– it led him and his team to question the possibility of producing food solely from energy, carbon dioxide, and water. It turns out, the answer is yes. Solein is a unique single cell protein. It is produced using a fully natural fermentation process like that of the production of yeast or lactic acid bacteria. The powder, which is produced from the process, is 50% protein, 5-10% fat and 20-25% carbohydrate. Most likely, the first product to reach the consumer market will be a replacement in existing plant-based foods. For example, using Solein in shakes or as an alternative to dairy in milks, yogurts, and even in breads and pasta. In the future, a lasagna could include the protein in all aspects of the recipe: the sauce, in the pasta sheets, and in the filling. Further into the future, there is also the possibility that it could be used as the basis for cultured meat production.
In the Photo: Solein Can be used in smoothies as a protein alternative. Photo Credit: Shawn Fields - Unsplash
To produce a kilo of the protein powder takes 10 liters of water in comparison to the 2500 liters of water for a kilo of soy or 15,500 liters for a kilo of beef. Electricity is the main raw material, and the plan is to source this from renewable energy sources. Additionally, Solein binds carbon dioxide rather than emitting it, easing pressure on land use. The product is currently going through regulatory checks and testing at the moment, with a plan to launch in 2021. NASA and the Soviet Union space programs had started to investigate in similar protein production for their expeditions in the past, but Solar Foods has brought it down to earth.

Higher Steaks, United Kingdom

Whilst some people are switching to plant-based diets and others have reduced their meat consumption, some others still want to keep meat in their diets but are looking for more environmentally friendly options. This is where lab-based meat comes in. Benjamina Bollag, CEO and co-founder of Higher Steaks, a UK-based company, believes that it is important to provide alternatives to meat with a lower carbon footprint, but that taste as close as possible to the real thing. She believes that the change required in human behavior to cut emissions will not happen fast enough otherwise. This approach is confirmed by research they have conducted. 52% of respondents confirmed that they would switch from conventional meat to the Higher Steaks alternative, with 21% saying they would prefer a plant-based diet. There are different ways of producing lab-based meat. The process that Higher Steaks is developing is based on pluripotent stem cells, which are taken from a small skin patch or blood sample. The meat that is grown is then shaped into products. Currently, Higher Steaks is working primarily on pork products.
In Photo: Higher Steaks will eventually release pork as its first lab-cultured meat. Photo Credit: Yvonne Lee Harijanto - Unsplash
The company has yet to conduct a lifecycle assessment of the lab-grown meat, but given the high levels of environmental impact from meat production, it should be safe to say that Higher Steaks products will be more sustainable. In addition, as Benjamina explains, other advantages include the avoidance of antibiotic use, resulting in a product which is better for the consumer as well. The level of fat can also be adjusted, depending on consumer preference. The company is working to have the first products in shops within 3-5 years.

Barukas, Brazil

Barukas proves that you don’t always to have to look to the future for more sustainable food sources. Sometimes it is about rediscovering and making available a food source which has been around for a long time to a wider audience. The baruzeiro tree, native to Brazil, has been a long-time source of nutrition for people living in the Cerrado, the vast savannah at the heart of Brazil. The tree produces a fruit, which contains the baru nut. It was the nutritional profile of the baru nut that initially attracted Seth Tuckerman, who had formerly been the COO of Beachbody, a fitness business. The nuts are high in protein, fiber, minerals, and are lower in fat than typical nuts. The taste is often described as a cross between peanuts and almonds. In fact, Tuckerman’s immediate thought on tasting them was “low calorie almonds”. Tuckerman’s passion is not only about the positive health benefits, but also about the trees and the mutual benefits for the communities where they grew.
In Photo: Baruzeiro tree. Photo Credit: Barukas
Tuckerman became a co-founder of Barukas Incorporated. They are on a mission to plant 20 million baruzeiro trees – as a start. The trees need little water and – as native trees – they are already ideally suited to the Cerrado conditions. First, Barukas must prove that there is a market for the fruit of the existing trees. As such, the company is encouraging those living in the Cerrado to collect the nuts by guaranteeing to buy them, then creating customer demand for the nuts. Collecting the fruit from existing trees helps to preserve them from being cleared for intensive and invasive agricultural methods such as soy plantations. Likewise, planting new trees helps to reverse the deforestation of Cerrado. A report by the Climate Observatory estimated that the destruction of surface vegetation in the Cerrado released 248 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2016. This is roughly two-and-half times the annual tailpipe emissions from all cars in Brazil.
In Photo: Closer look at the baruzeiro tree. Photo Credit: Barukas.
From talking with these three pioneers, it is now clearer than ever that we need multiple solutions to address how to sustainably feed a growing population. We need to cut the carbon emissions and reduce other environmental impacts such as water and land use associated with food production. Some of these solutions are a little way off in the future, but others are available now. We are what we eat, but our choices will increasingly determine what kind of future we will live in as well.   EDITOR’S NOTE: The opinions expressed here by Impakter.com columnists are their own, not those of Impakter.com.
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