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Mondy, a rising TikTok sensation, has embarked on a journey to conquer the media industry while simultaneously pursuing dreams of owning a security firm and a dance company.
In an interview with a local media house on August 4, the ambitious dancer who calls himself the 'dancing soldier', shared his journey from dancing as a child to his aspiration of becoming a media owner.
Mondy - I started dancing when I was till a child
Mondy's love for dance began in childhood. While he had been dancing for years, it wasn't until recently that he started creating content that gained significant attention.
Currently pursuing a degree at the University of Nairobi, he found that the extended holidays left him with plenty of free time. To make the most of it and avoid idleness, he decided to take on a security job.
"Mimi nilianxza kudance nikiwa mtoi. Nimeanza kudance kitambo lakini content ndio imekam juzi. Nasoma University of Nairobi na unajua long holidays sometimes huwa long sana.
"So nikaona naeza fanya kazi yoyote ya security coz nilikua tu nataka kakitu alafu pia nisiwaste time," Mondy said.
The turning point of Mondy's dancing journey
The turning point in Mondy's journey came when Nadia Mukami & Arrow Bwoy released their her hit song 'Mi Nawe.'
Recognising the song's trendiness, he decided to create a dance video for it before heading to work.
Little did he know that this would be the start of something big. People started informing him that Nadia Mukami had shared his video, and his visibility soared.
"So kuna ile day Nadia Mukami alitoa ile song ya 'Mi Nawe' nikasema juu hii wimbo imetrend sana, wacha before niingie job niifanye. Kidogo kidogo watu wanaanza kuniambia Nadia Mukami amekupost," he said.
Challenges that have defined Mondy's journey
As his fame grew, Mondy found himself in a tricky situation at the institute where he worked; Female students were eager to be associated with the rising star.
Balancing his work responsibilities, unwanted attention, and the challenges of cold nights and limited access to food became a daily struggle.
His nights were spent working, and sleep was a luxury he couldn't afford. Moreover, he did not have a house. He went to school during day and came to work at night.
"Nilikuwa nimeanza kutrend, so those ladies in the institute i worked at walitaka kuonekana wako na Mondy, na mimi pia ni staff.
"Na wengine walikuwa wanaforce. So ilikuwa tricky sana kuavoid such stuff. Plus of course baridi na chakula. Sikuwa na keja. Hiyo kufanya job usiku ndio nilikuwa nalala," he said.
His growing popularity also led to him losing his security job. Mondy said he took it as a life lesson, because he had realised the importance of resilience.
"Nilikua nimeanza kujulikana na Director wa hiyo company akaniona akafeel ni kama nilikuwa na underperform so akanifuta. So mi nikasema hiyo haina shida. nilikua hapa lakinini sifai kuwa hapa but nathank God mmenipa content. Mi kwangu iliniteach lesson that kwa hii life unafaa ukuwe hard," he said.
Mondy shares his dream beyond dancing
The TikToker aspires to establish a digital media platform that supports and entertains a broad audience.
READ: 'WAP' & 13 other dance challenges with an unrivaled record on TikTok
Moreover, he plans to venture into security services and launch a dance company characterized by a 'soja' aesthetic.
"Nikimaliza shule nataka nikuwe na digital media platform nisupport watu wengi. Then pia in the future nataka nikuwe na security firm yangu na dance company yangu yenye tunavaa sojas kila mtu," he said.
His ambitions extend to collaborations with renowned artists like Khaligraph Jones, Nadia Mukami, Arrow Bwoy, and Sauti Sol.
"I would love to work with Khaligraph Jones, Nadia Mukami, Arrow Bwoy, Sauti Sol and any other artist who would want to work with me," he added.
Not limited to dancing, he also considers himself a hype man, ready to add energy and excitement to people's events or surprise someone.