AmarElla
AmarElla is a podcast where two Nairobi-born hosts, Amari and Bugutsa (also known as Ella), have the conversations everyone is thinking about but few people are having. Drawing from their experiences living in Kenya and the United States, they explore money, top universities, relationships, polygamy, culture, identity, family expectations, ambition, and life between different worlds. Honest, curious, and occasionally chaotic, AmarElla is a space for bold opinions, thoughtful disagreement, and conversations that go beyond the obvious.
Episodes
The Masculinity Problem
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.What does it actually mean to be a man? In part two of our conversation, we sit down with Rashid to talk about masculinity, the pressure on men to be strong and stoic, and what gets lost when vulnerability is treated like weakness. We get into how ideas of masculinity have changed over time, the role patriarchy plays in shaping both men and
The Performative and Sassy Man Epidemic
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.What happens when being a “good man” starts to feel a little too rehearsed? In this episode, we unpack the rise of the performative man—from tote bags, feminist literature, and carefully curated softness to the increasingly discussed “sassy man.” We get into where genuine emotional intelligence ends and performance begins, why certain behav
Has Testosterone Rewired My Brain
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.In this episode, Amari shares with us their journey as a trans-nonbinary individual. Particularly, we explore how taking testosterone to affirm their gender identity may have changed the way they perceive the world and how they think they are perceived by others, especially in Kenya. What does their identity mean for them as they navigate r
Till Death Do Us Part
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.In this episode we share our thoughts on the recently released and heavily discussed show, The Polygamist. We ask why the worst people always seem to be surrounded by love. Do the people who’ve done you dirtiest deserve a peaceful death? Is the trope of women sleeping their way to success overplayed? Why is it only girls who are conditioned
Ethnic Names and Accent Preservation as Acts of Resistance
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.Names are more than just labels; they carry our history, culture, and identity. In this candid conversation, we share our personal journeys embracing our own names and accents, and how those choices shape how we're navigating belonging, pride, and resistance. We unpack the personal and political weight of preserving ancestral names in space
The Hidden Cost of Upward Mobility: When Success Comes with Ethical & Emotional Burdens
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.This episode dives into the raw realities of navigating wealth, responsibility, and identity as young Africans in a globalized world.If you’ve ever wondered how financial pressure from your roots shapes your decisions, or what true collective growth looks like beyond individual success, this conversation hits deep. We explore the hidden cos
