In Conversation with My Dog Sighs: Art, Music and Community in Tanzania

GraffitiStreet

When you first arrived in Tanzania with Last Night A DJ Saved My Life, what expectations were you carrying with you, and how were they reshaped during your first days on the ground?

My Dog Sighs

I went with an open mind, mentally preparing for things to be tough.

While elements were incredibly powerful, and the stories of what brought many of the residents there were often heartbreaking, what we all quickly picked up on was how positive, open, driven and welcoming both the charity and the residents were.

From singing and dancing when we arrived each day, to the incredibly impressive robed Maasai warriors who act as security for the centres greeting us and showing off their jumping skills, the atmosphere was far more uplifting than I had expected.

GraffitiStreet

The children encountered your process from initial sketch through to the finished wall. Were there reactions, comments or moments of engagement that particularly surprised you or stayed with you?

My Dog Sighs

There’s always a strange interaction when you try to explain what you’re going to paint before you actually start. The community builds their own ideas in advance, and then there’s that middle stage where the painting looks like a complete mess and everyone is confused.

It happens wherever I paint and Tanzania was no different. Initially I could see both the kids and the adults unsure about the strange English man with his spray cans.

Over time though, as relationships develop and the elements of the piece begin to come together, something shifts. The artwork moves from being confusing to becoming something they feel belongs to them. Once that happens and you pass ownership of the wall to the community, the pride and wonder is palpable. I absolutely love that moment.

GraffitiStreet

Your decision to place Ebaneza in the reflection of the first eye at Feathers Gate felt deeply personal and intentional. Can you speak about the conversations and emotions that led to that choice?

My Dog Sighs

As with all the murals I paint, I want the community to feel that the work belongs to them. I want to tell their story through my eyes. Intentional pun.

I painted Ebaneza in the reflection because he was one of many cheeky characters whose face would light up whenever I sat with him. While it’s his portrait, it really represents all the children there, particularly those who are often underrepresented in art and too easily forgotten in society.

GraffitiStreet

Throughout your murals in Tanzania, the reflections contain individuals you met during the trip whose lives have often involved significant hardship. How do you approach embedding these real stories within your signature eye reflection?

My Dog Sighs

It’s funny because the reflection is always the last part of my painting. I never arrive at a wall knowing exactly what will go in there.

I tend to leave it to chance, fate or maybe even a bit of divine intervention. At some point during the process I’ll meet someone, or hear a story, and suddenly I know that’s the right image.

In Tanzania I met so many inspirational people that finding those moments came very naturally.

GraffitiStreet

At Angels Gate, Ochu’s journey from former street youth to art teacher is remarkable. How did learning about his path influence you, particularly as someone who also teaches?

My Dog Sighs

Ochu was great.

To learn that a visit from other street artists, including my good friend Inkie, first drew him into Angels Gate and inspired him to explore his own creativity was incredibly moving. That journey eventually led him to become the art teacher at the centre.

While I was painting that wall, a lot of the time was spent showing him techniques and processes that he could pass on to the kids.

Normally I’m not overly impressed when people copy my work, but in this case it would be my dream to return to Moshi one day and see the place covered in eye murals.

GraffitiStreet

At Faith centre you worked with young men navigating addiction and introduced spray painting as a form of creative therapy. What shifts did you notice as the day unfolded?

My Dog Sighs

Honestly, I was a bit worried when Tamp and I first arrived. Suspicious would be putting it mildly when it came to their initial reaction.

But that barrier-smashing power of art kicked in very quickly.

Within minutes the atmosphere changed from silent sideways glances, to curiosity, to people joining in and eventually taking ownership of the wall themselves.

By the end of the day we were sharing food together, swapping stories and bonding over a shared love of the creative process.

GraffitiStreet

The phrase “Hakuna matata” took on a deeper meaning during your trip as plans constantly changed. What did that sense of fluidity teach you?

My Dog Sighs

Plans change, and nothing is ever completely fixed, especially in Africa.

We ordered our paint four months before arriving, without really knowing what we would be painting or even how many walls we would have.

Luckily the three of us are quite adaptable, which turned out to be essential.

GraffitiStreet

Music workshops were also taking place alongside the art sessions. How did that combination of sound and visual creativity shape the atmosphere?

My Dog Sighs

Last Night A DJ Saved My Life is primarily a music charity, bringing music skills, equipment and inspiration to young people.

The art side is really an addition, and we were honoured to be only the second group of artists invited out.

After nearly ten years of work, many of the young people are incredibly proficient and are able to leave the centres with the skills and knowledge to start their own businesses through music.

At first I was a bit sceptical. You instinctively think that clothing or equipment should be the priority. But seeing how music and art have transformed lives, genuinely difficult lives, made me realise that creativity is not an optional extra.

Art and music enrich us, help us grow and bring people together in ways that few other things can.

GraffitiStreet

Beyond the murals themselves, what do you hope remains in Tanzania long after the paint begins to weather?

My Dog Sighs

I know the experience will stay with me far longer than the walls themselves.

I’ve seen how previous trips have quite literally saved lives and changed futures. To feel that something I’ve done might contribute to that in the future is an honour I’ll carry with me for a very long time.

GraffitiStreet

The fundraising support surged dramatically while you were travelling, eventually committing you to producing more than fifty sketches. How did that moment affect you?

My Dog Sighs

I had absolutely no idea it would take off the way it did.

I posted one sketch as an offer and went to sleep. When I woke up the fundraiser had gone from 25 percent to 400 percent of its target.

For the rest of the trip, the entire twenty-four hour flight home and most of the following week, I was busy fulfilling the sketches promised to donors.

It’s a small price to pay for something that I know will make such a huge impact.

GraffitiStreet

You travelled to Tanzania alongside fellow street artists Tamp2 and Peachzz. How did working together shape the experience?

My Dog Sighs

Tamp invited me because he knew I had teaching experience, and I suggested Peachzz because I knew she would be great to work alongside.

All three of us quickly realised how important it was to stay flexible with our plans. Peachzz had an enormous wall, mostly in full sun, so whenever we could Tamp and I jumped in to help.

She’s an incredible artist and an equally incredible human being.

Tamp and I also became a bit of a duo during the trip. He had to adapt his usual artistic approach quite a lot for this environment, but he absolutely smashed it with his beautifully placed Tanzanian animals.

GraffitiStreet

As you return to Portsmouth and resume your studio practice, what internal shifts are you carrying with you?

My Dog Sighs

I’m still very much processing the experience and I suspect I will be for quite some time.

I would jump at the chance to go back and work with the charity again.

I recently read that one of the easiest ways to find happiness is by helping someone else. Right now, I can’t think of a truer statement.