Dinner With Mbithi Masya

by Lucy Munene

We did not arrive at Tribe44 ready to be schooled but chef and owner Jasraj Jandu was ready to present with facts and fusion food. The name of this restaurant comes from the declaration in 2017 that the Indian community was recognised as the 44th tribe in Kenya. This was the inspiration behind the menu as well which we all stared at in complete confusion. The descriptions provided by the chef raised all the eyebrows at the table (including a samosa/mandazi combination fondly known as a combi). So as we sat down, we talked about cultural fusion with food and art. “ I’m boring when it comes to food. I like to keep things simple. Food doesn’t need to come with pomp and glamour. However, as more time has gone by in have found myself appreciating homecooked African food more. I’m at that weird stage where going out to restaurants doesn’t excite me as much. ”

We laughed at the irony that this interview was exactly that, took healthy sips of our brandy dawas and steered the conversation towards the Kenyan creative scene and his journey through it. “ With my whole creative journey, there has been no destination or plan. I was in Justaband while studying Business & IT so we were making music and shooting music videos then one day those videos took us to New York where we had video exhibitions. After that because of the nature of what we do, I thought let me try and tell a bigger story which led to a feature film that took off on its own. It’s all been kind of fluid. ”

This is where the food came and threw us all out for a loop. The ugali cheese balls served with githeri and honey garlic pepper wings not only looked delicious but tasted so good that plates were cleaned before we continued talking. “I think the Kenyan creative scene is in a dope space right now. I know this is a cliche phrase to say but it feels like a renaissance of sorts artistically with kids now getting more support from their parents. However, we basically did this as rebels. I remember there was a time we were at Bill’s house during the early days of Justaband and we were chilling outside of his house, his mum I’d say Kenyan creatives are like malaria, they aren’t going anywhere. No matter how much the world tries to destroy malaria, malaria is there.

PHOTO BY KIDD_VOLT

“I think the Kenyan creative scene is in a dope space right now. I know this is a cliche phrase to say but it feels like a renaissance of sorts artistically with kids now getting more support from their parents. However, we basically did this as rebels. I remember there was a time we were at Bill’s house during the early days of Justaband and we were chilling outside of his house, his mum gave us a lecture about wasting our lives and then earlier this year I shot a video for him in his house and you could see how proud she was.”

There is much to be said about the Kenyan creative scene and as we moved tables for the main course, Mbithi added “ What I love most about the Kenyan creative scene is the people. For lack of a better comparison, I’d say Kenyan creatives are like malaria, they aren’t going anywhere. No matter how much the world tries to destroy malaria, malaria is there. That’s how we are. Kenya is not a hospitable place for creatives even though we are here and are surviving. ”

Mbithi’s passion for film is clear, and that was visible as we discussed his history with the industry. “ My first favourite film was Terminator 2 and it’s still in my top 5. The main thing that keeps it there is how it made me feel. Most recently though I watched Last Black Man in San Francisco which came out in July. The subject matter can be heavy but it’s treated in a light way that why it seems like it’s all over the place. There’s something about growing older and things aren’t as you thought they would be plus things have changed from what they used to be so you can’t go back to what you knew. That’s what the movie touched on that resonated with me. I’m drawn to films where I can feel someone was trying to process something themselves. It’s like a book, you can tell when the writer’s personality or life has bled into the book so for me, what is most interesting is feeling what someone else is feeling. That is what I love about film. ”

I couldn’t possibly fit our discussion on craft beer, his next film and the best biriyani in Malindi all in this column but you can read all of that on www.yummy.co.ke.