Pascal Tokodi is currently trending because he met with President Uhuru Kenyatta and rather than ask him for money or bellyache about politics, he asked the president to watch his show. That got me thinking, what would I have done if I were in the same shoes?
It is actually rather inspiring that he believes in himself as much especially in a country like Kenya where performing arts and other talent-based careers are looked down upon.
I am reminded of my mother and father who would often tell me that regardless of how well I played rugby, there was no career in it for me. I get what they were trying to do. I was being told of the harsh reality of life in Kenya, a reality that meant the best chances for me to become a successful and contributing member of society was if I focused on my academic pursuits.
Kenya for a long time was not the type of country that had a market that supported local talent. That doesn’t mean that there was no market for entertainment but that for a long time locally produced music, locally produced shows and homegrown sports talent was not rated as highly as those that were imported. That is why while we did not celebrate local thespians, we would import South African shows and Nigerian movies.
There’s nothing wrong with that. And I can say so with confidence because these days, the opposite is true. There is a hunger for homegrown talent. These days it is no longer cool to show disdain for Kenyan artists or to talk down at Kenyan TV shows. And I am learning that I should always bet on my talents. I should always stake the bank on God-given gifts.
I mean, we have shows like Monica that are proof enough of the fact. It is a locally shot and produced show. The cast is made up of some of the most talented young actors Kenya has ever produced. Actors who cut their teeth from way back when local shows were just starting to get love and to this day and age when they are celebrated.
The show Monica stars Fidel Maithya, Brenda Wairimu, Ephy Saint and a whole host of other Kenyan talented stars tells the story of a dame wa mtaa trying to get out of that situation and live a better life. Basically, a story we can relate to about maisha ya hii Kanairo. It takes at how she interacts with upper-middle-class characters who like so many still do to this day, look down on her as nothing more than a social climber.
What is not to love? Mastory zetu, told by us. If that doesn’t show you that we would all do well to actually bank on our talents, I don’t know what will. And you can catch Monica on Showmax, which has an offer tailor-made for our Kenyan reality. For only KSH 380 per month, you get an all-you-can-eat buffet style access to the entire library of movies and shows that they have. As if that weren’t enough, Showmax has a “pay for one month and get two more months extra” offer running.
So what excuse do you have not to check out what belief in yourself really looks like? Check out the maverick cast of Monica and trust me when I say the show is one of if not the most addictive local show you have ever seen.
