Feisty, Fearless Fena

Fena Gitu has consistently marched to the beat of a different drum. CATE ODERA talks to the singer/songwriter about the highs and lows of the music industry, the low point that saw her turn her life around, and what she really feels about dresses.

Fena Gitu is first to arrive at Sierra restaurant in Nairobi, the place we agreed to meet for this interview. Despite the rain, she has ordered herself a cold Tusker beer. When she sees me, she immediately rises in apology for showing up earlier than our agreed time. ‘I like to get to my meetings at least 30 minutes before the agreed time,’ she explains. ‘I like to prepare myself and feel comfortable in the surroundings, especially on first encounters.’

It’s hard to imagine Fena feeling anything other than comfortable in any surroundings, as she has been part of Kenya’s music scene for some seven years now. She is known for her alternative style in music, her urbanpunk dress sense and her effortless charm, but in reality, she says, she is a ‘wallflower’.

‘I have always wished that I could be like Daft Punk (the French electric music duo). Wear a mask and keep it on, all covered up and when I remove it I can do anything. Right now, I feel I can’t really wild out. I always have to be prim and proper, but my close friends know the real me,’ she says.

As the waiter takes our orders, Fena rests her foot over her opposite thigh. She may find it a more comfortable sitting position, but body language experts would say it’s a display of assertiveness and dominance. So while she says she is introverted, her posture speaks of a confident, self-assured and even extroverted woman.

So who is the real Fena Gitu? ‘I was named after my aunt Trufena, so my birth name is Trufena Wanjiru Gitu. I was born to a single parent, Florence Gitu, and I basically grew up in Buruburu Estate in Eastlands.’

Fena grew up singing in church, primary school and boarding school. But it was only when she started attending the Catholic school Precious Blood that she really started developing her craft.