Comedian Kelvin ‘Shaniqwa’ Mwangi has never been offered sponsorship deals or influencer gigs, even after years of being a content creator.
In an interview with Alex Mwakideu and Emmanuel Mwashumbe on ‘Breakfast47’, Mwangi said he has moved past his regrets regarding lost branding opportunities and has since founded a rice company to take control of his future.
“Nimekuwa influener miaka mingi sana. Nimekuwa nikitengenezea watu pesa. I guess, it is time pia nijitengenezee pesa. Kutoka nianze acting katika hii industry, sijawahi kuwa brand ambassador wa kampuni yoyote. Hivi sasa niko na opportunity ya kuwa brand ambassador wa kampuni yangu,” said Mwangi.
He disclosed that he is now a leading farmer in Mwea, where he procures premium pishori rice for his newly established company, Shanixx.
“Nilienda nyumbani nikawaongelesha wazazi na babu zangu vizuri, wakanipatia shamba kadhaa. Nikaingia pale, nikaweka celebrity chini na nikalima kama nimenyamaza tu. Mchele ulipokuwa tayari, I packaged and brought them over to Nairobi,” he narrated.
The comedian went on to clarify that he did not shelf ‘Shaniqwa,’ but diversified into other characters after years of portraying it on TV, radio and social media.
He also dismissed the idea that ‘Shaniqwa’ is an accurate representation of his true self, explaining that it is a fictional character with which he has become strongly identified with.
“Hii ni sanaa. Kuna watu wanaohudumia taifa kama askari, lakini wakivua uniform hawaendi kushika shika watu kwa barabara. I doubt. Nikiingia hiyo character nasahau kila kitu. Nasahau Kelvin, naingia into ‘Shaniqwa’. Then nikitoka, nasahau ‘Shaniqwa’ compeletely,” said Mwangi.
Mwangi indicated that he reached a turning point when his audience sought more intricate storytelling, necessitating the creation of additional captivating characters.
“Unaweza igiza kitu kwa muda mrefu and you feel watu wanataka kujua what else you can do aside from the single character. Nilitaka ku explore. Kuna vitu vingi naweza fanya. Kama umeangalia TikTok yangu, kuna character ya mzee nachapa zaidi sana. There is also a mini-series about ‘Shaniqwa’ inaitwa “How Did You Die”,” the comedian explained.
The father of two noted that, like Terrence Creative, he is also capable of exploring various characters beyond ‘Shaniqwa’, who is currently attracting a new fanbase in the mini-series “How Did You Die”.
“Terrence is a very brilliant creator… I, too, have four characters nne. Shaniqwa is one of them, mzee is the other, and two others hazijakuwa kubwa bado. ‘Shaniqwa’ is still there. I love surprises, and one of these days, ‘Shaniqwa’ atatoklezea at a very high-class level. This is because if I don’t hit it to a melting point, heri ikae,” said Mwangi.
Mwangi explained that his tendency to work independently stems from the fact that he does not impose projects on others, nor is he unable to operate without collaboration.
“Ni style yangu. Nimejaribu kufanya collabo, but, nilirealize kila mtu yuko na shughuli zake. Watu wako katika harakati za kutafta. Siwezi force. I have tuned my mind that, incase, nikose mtu wa kufanya naye, naweza ipiga idea zangu zote hapo hapo.”
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