Lifestyle

Giving culture glamour shots – meet Constance Masika, widely known as Shangazi

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2020 00:00 | By
Constance Masika in her traditional attires. Photo/PD/Jasmine Atieno

Many women love keeping up with fashion trends. But Constance Masika, widely known by her stage name Shangazi, a Giriama poet proudly adorns traditional attires and makes business out of it.

Jasmine Atieno @sparkleMine

The Giriama people of the coastal region are known to take so much pride in their cultural ways.

As a matter of fact, the traditional dress code for women includes a popular wrapper known as the Kishutu, which comes in one specific pattern on different background colours.

Traditionally, this dress would be accompanied by a tribal skirt of different lengths for girls and women—the skirt is known as a Hando. 

Through time and changes in trends in the fashion industry, many women have evolved the kishutu into a completely fashionable clothing item.

This is what makes Constance Masika, stand out wherever she goes. Be it in the busy central business district, supermarkets, hospitals or ceremonies, she immediately stands out because of her traditional Giriama attires. 

Popularly known as Shangazi Masika (Aunty Masika), the 33-year-old officially started her career as a hando ambassadorin 2014.

Shangazi who is also a renowned poet would always wear tradititional clothes to events whenever she was invited to perform.

Being an ambassador

“I have been doing poetry in my mother tongue for a long time now. And often when I go to events, my wardrobe is mostly mahando.

Sometimes, people would literally request for me to wear it during performances.

I took the opportunity of performing my poetry to showcase all the traditional Giriama attires.

After a while, people started requesting that I wear the traditional attires when attending events.

So, I took it as a business opportunity too. And thank God I have no regrets whatsoever,” says Shangazi.

As the hando ambassador, Shangazi’s normal work routine involves being called to showcase her designs, being contracted to decorate an event’s venue in traditional Giriama theme, and dressing and organising parties in full traditional themes.

She also runs an online shop that sells women’s wears including; hando, kishutu top, necklace, bungles, anklets (nzuga), beaded head strap (nguthu), waist strap (mikumbuu), upper arm bangles (mavorodede), and men’s traditional attires including; mfulo, shoulder straps (mikumbuu), whisk (mwingo), walking stick(mbakora) beaded necklace and upper arm strap.

The fifth born in a family of six shares that life has not been easy for her family, which includes three boys and three girls and their ailing mother, after the passing on of their father seven years ago. 

 “My mum used to be a business woman before she became ill over a year now. My father, Charles Cherebe, passed on—it’s now the seventh year.

It hasn’t always been easy, but my career has given me so much to live for and always thirst for growth in the same.

I was mostly influenced by my friends who live in the USA. I started by posting my poetry work on my social media pages and they would follow me from there.

At the start I did my poetry in three languages— Giriama, English and Kiswahili.

A lot of my social media followers loved my work, and this prompted more people who liked my spoken word art to follow and like my work online.

And from the comments, people loved the poems, which I did in Giriama language.

So I decided to specialise in Giriama poems. This wouldn’t have been possible without the traditional clothing,” shares Shangazi.

Being the hando ambassador has been a joyful ride with memories, which she treasures.

“There are good business moments, such as when I am called upon to provide décor for county events.

This means I am exposed to and have dinner with prominent people in the society.

The one that never gets old is when someone stops me in the streets to confirm if I am the same Shangazi they see on social media and asks for a selfie. The love is so precious,” she says. 

As  a compliment to her business venture, Shangazi adds that her degree in sales and marketing has come in handy in managing her business and marketing herself.

She graduated from Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology (JKUAT) in 2008. 

Coming from Kaya Fungo, Kilifi county has also made her an inspiration to the young girls in her community.

In turn, she started an initiative for girl child empowerment called Niache Nikomae (allow me to mature) which was started in 2019. 

The aim of the initiative is to eradicate teenage pregnancies within the community.

This includes through activities held in schools within the county to teach the girls on healthy living and abstinence. 

“The main aim is to help a girl child say niache nikomae , to help them become and achieve their best before they can become parents.

My message is normally powered by our legend Mekatilili wa Menza. She was a strong woman who fought for her people and she is remembered to date.

Girls need to know the importance of reaching their goals and nothing should stand in their way.

Especially not an unwanted pregnancy. On August last year, we had a cross county caravan covering all coastal counties with road shows to preach this message,” she says.

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