Narada is a bike courier currently working for send it and visual story teller showcasing the lives of Toronto messengers.
Where’d you grow up? Whats your story? If you weren’t born in the city – how’d you get here?
I was born in Toronto and moved to Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, at a young age, where I went to school and spent most of my childhood. At 18, I moved back to Canada on my own, living in Edmonton and Vancouver for a few years. After graduating from college, I returned to Toronto and have lived downtown ever since.
Who or what got you into the scene?
I got into stooping and curb finds during the pandemic. By chance, I stumbled upon a box of old Hi8 camcorders left out in the street, exposed to the rain. Despite the water damage, I managed to get one of the camcorders to work. I started recording the various things I saw while working as a bike messenger in the city. Re-watching the footage every night when I got home became a therapeutic ritual. It made me reflect on memory, archiving, and how creating videos lies somewhere between presenting truth and manipulating reality through storytelling.
What inspires/motivates you?
Media that makes me feel something as opposed to works where I just passively consume. I consume a lot of media in various formats, and I’m drawn to artists who elicit feelings, whether good or bad or confusion. I try to emulate this in my own work and I’d be happy knowing that I’m able to elicit something in at least one person out there.
What do you represent, why are you doing the things you’re doing?
I have two main goals with the videos I create. First is to capture a unique moment in time of bike mess culture that is somewhere between death as we have understood what it is and stands for, and rebirth under new different parameters. Second, is to create videos that I myself would enjoy watching and nothing more.
If you had the option to restart your life, what would you do different the next time around?
Absolutely nothing. While I’ve had a wealth of experiences ranging from good to bad. I feel like every single one has played a part in making me the person I am today. And I would not trade any of them, even the ones that at the moment felt heart wrenching and despairing.
Anything else you want to add? Feedback? Shoutout? Recommendations?
Shout out to all people in the messenger community that have been super supportive of my videos and in all I do. Also big thanks to Chrome Sunsets for giving me a platform.