Oganga Mangiti | Nairobi | Kenya

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What motivated me to apply for the Bakanal De Afrique Fellowship, was the tag line “Mi Soon Come.” It represented a theme that I felt needed to be explored and it further created this feeling of excitement; to be part of various artists around the world, exploring the impact of transportation from their perspectives. The name of my final project is “Steady Rocking,” and it consists of eight different poems, that explore different personas that cut across age, gender and social class. My work, is a reflection of my search; the constant desire, to find words to express what is felt and needs to be felt. My thought process behind writing poems is generally a back and forth, where different emotions and experiences are relieved and reflected upon, until the words that fully express them, are found; then I write. Each piece, explores different themes, from feminism to the social implications and changing dynamics of transportation, to character development; where each piece builds on subsequent ones. The last piece, "Unfinished Business," is a reflection of my own desire to finish a piece, I have struggled to complete, by taking myself back to that moment where the poem could be completed.

Production Credit

OGANGA MANGITI - POET

Technical Details

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Duration: 15 seconds, Format: .MP3

about the artist

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Oganga Mangiti

Poet

Nairobi| Kenya

Oganga Mangiti, is a poet, born, raised and residing in Nairobi, Kenya. He has been writing poetry from 2010, with his debut poetry anthology, “Love and Pain,” coming out in 2019. The book contains poems which focus on the emotions of love and those of pain, with the belief that going through each emotion individually, leads to the process of healing and growth through acceptance.

His work has been described as poetry of emotion, as it mainly focuses on the emotions of love, pain and heartbreak. He initially started writing, to express the emotions he felt; but that has morphed into a constant search; using words to express different emotions and social issues. He draws a lot of his influence from African writers, such as Chinua Achebe, Francis Imbuga, Margaret Ogolla and Ijeoma Umbinyo; and poets such as R.H Sin and the oriental poet, Rumi.

Currently, Oganga Mangiti, is working on his second book, which will focus on the themes of blooming and coming of age. He is also constantly engaged in growing his art form and experimenting with various forms of expression. Furthermore, he has engaged in various campaigns, using poetry and prose in various digital and marketing campaigns.

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