The Nairobi creative scene is cathartic, fast and riveting. The union of compelling creatives and their impressive cultic following reflects a shift that the scene has witnessed in the past five years – creatives are popping up now more than ever. Women have been making significant marks amid this revolution and across various cultural scenes. From fashion and events to entrancing the public with their hypnotic DJ Sets, women are etching their names onto the face of the creative scene.
In Kenya, a country struggling against misogyny, gender-related violence and sexual harassment, women are using their voices to own and amplify their sexuality in protest of the status quo. Take sultry singer and songwriter Maandy, who is relishing her moment. Loud, fierce and bold, she resists societal expectations of what a woman should be. Reclaiming her freedom with the raunchy “Mmmh Mmmh” and the party anthem “Shash na lipgloss”, Maandy makes one thing clear: she is liberated within her sexuality. “I feel like Maandy is the real embodiment of what a bad bitch should be,” Fadhili Odewo tells me when I ask her what she thinks of Maandy. For a long time, men have owned sex; they’re free to sing about lustful relationships while women are deemed promiscuous. But thankfully, Maandy is unapologetic in her work.
Maandy is not the only artist doing this. Rapper, singer and songwriter Dyana Codds made her big debut with a radio freestyle that had Nairobi at her feet. Growing up, it was common to hear that girls are to be seen and not heard. But Dyana Codds has a different testimony. Women in creative spaces are undoubtedly pervasive, and artists like Maandy and Dyana Cods are the loud voices needed to amplify the movement even further.
