Moses Christopher, a musician from US to Portugal

I found Moses Christopher by accident. I was swiping through my Instagram stories when I came across one of his songs and was deeply impressed. I thought it would be a good idea to know more about the music of this kind and approachable artist.

I have found out about you on Instagram, and this is your first interview with an Italian publication. Could you introduce yourself to us?

My name is Moses Christopher I am a singer-songwriter, musician, and producer currently based in Aveiro, Portugal. I was born in the United States near New York City and I am of both Portuguese and Italian origin. My father is Portuguese and my mother is Portuguese and Italian. I am very passionate about music and art and I love creating and working on original pieces of music. I am highly influenced by many styles of music and I am always searching for songs and compositions that move me emotionally and spiritually. Besides my passion for music, I am very drawn to nature and sports outside for example hiking, mountain biking, surfing, and skateboarding. My connection to nature has become even an essential part of my inspiration for my music and content.

On your Instagram page there are many videos of you busking around different cities. What does busking mean to you?

Busking and street performing mean many things to me and have become a large part of my journey as an artist and performer. For me busking or street performing has opened many doors and helped me evolve as a singer-songwriter and an artist. In my opinion busking is a test of perseverance and patience and should be a rite of passage for many singers and performers because it isn’t easy or glamorous and rather humbling. I realized how much I really loved music and performing for others through my busking experiences and I know even if I can sell out arenas someday I will always head out to the “streets” to play for the people. There is nothing like the direct and real connection you can have while busking on the street.

I've read that you have been making music for at least 10 years. How do you feel you have developed as a singer-songwriter over these years?

In the last ten years, I feel that I have grown and evolved as a singer-songwriter and also as a producer. I feel that this naturally happens when someone wants to improve, learn and grow regardless of their field or trade. I always strive to go deeper and push my boundaries as an artist and now with all these years of experience, I feel that I can express myself even easier and more clearer through my music. I believe that I am more confident and capable of using my talents to create the music and art I want to hear and see.

In 2021 you won two awards with two collaborations which belong to completely different genres: hip-hop/rap and dance. Which type of music do you feel most comfortable playing?

The types or styles of music that I feel most comfortable playing or performing would have to be Rock and Blues. However I love so many styles of music and I have taken time to study and learn about some other styles as well, which is why I really enjoy collaborating and producing other genres.

Can you tell us something about you’re recently released EP Perception?

Perception is my first official EP and was a great experience for me because I wrote, recorded, and produced all the music by myself and in my home studio. I also wrote and recorded the majority of this EP during the Covid Pandemic which had obviously a big influence on the style and the songs. During the writing and recording process, I was able to unwind and destress a lot of thoughts and feelings that I don’t think I would have been able to do without the music. It wasn’t easy working on everything by myself but it was a great opportunity to test my limits and abilities as a songwriter and producer.

There are two songs that particularly impressed me: We are all Refugees and Escape. Can you tell us the story behind them?

We are all Refugees was written during my time living in Porto, Portugal in 2016. Exactly around this time, there was a war in Syria and many Syrian refugees were migrating to other European countries in search of peace and freedom. I had the pleasure of meeting quite a few refugees during that time and the entire situation opened my eyes to many inequalities and injustices in this world. I started composing the song and I even wrote parts of the song by improving guitar loops while busking on the streets of Porto and this is exactly why I filmed the music video in the city of Porto as well. At that time I wanted to find a way to share the message with others that, We are all Refugees, and we need to care for and support one another regardless of where we were born. At the end of the day, everyone is searching for love, peace, friends, and a home and we really aren’t that different from those who are forced to leave their homes and do so.

Escape was written during the Covid pandemic as I worked on my EP Perception. Before I wrote the song I began to have many fears and negative thoughts as I imagine many people did during the pandemic. I found it difficult to even control what I was thinking and became even more conscious of my negative thoughts and feelings. I would meditate almost every day and do breathing exercises but it didn’t seem to help. I later realized It also had to do with being forced to stay home and my lack of connection with nature and even other people. These exact feelings and thoughts were the roots of my inspiration behind the song Escape. At times I wanted to just run away and escape from myself and my thoughts, which is why the lyrics are so simple and direct,” Sometimes I need to Escape from myself… “

Thank you, Moses, for you time and availability. Let me share where we can find your music, on Spotify, Instagram and on your website. We hope that one day you could come to Italy so we can listen to your music live.