By Hans

Italians know how to live and enjoy life. Little wonder then that when they first came to Malindi, they instantly fell in love with the island. It was a replica of what they had been looking for.

A few years after their arrival, the culinary scene changed dramatically. Italians opened restaurants and, with their skills and passion for food, they experimented with the local ingredients and altered the menus completely. Today, Malindi boasts of gourmet restaurants where meals are at affordable prices.

Malindi also attracted creative artists like Amando Tanzini who started working with local artisans. He instilled in them knowledge on different kinds of working techniques. Today, he continues to create the most fantastic pieces of art, which are sold all over the world. They are also exhibited at the Biennale Venice, one of the most important bi-annual art exhibitions in the world.

Another art whiz, Isaia Mabellini Sarenco, arrived in Malindi many years ago and encouraged the locals to work on joint projects with Italian sculptors, painters and other artisans. This was the birth of a whole bunch of new talent that created beautiful objects. Most importantly, it exposed local artists to the international standards of art.

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International exhibition

In December 2006, Sarenco and other art movers brought an international art exhibition to Malindi. Dubbed the Malindi Biennale, the event not only attracted artists from all over the world but also the international press who gave Kenya, and more precisely Malindi, free publicity as a cultural town.

Giulio Bargellini, another Italian tycoon and art lover, brought together talented Kenyans and Italian artisans to make huge pieces of art from local materials. He then used the pieces to decorate his expansive garden and the public areas of his hotel, aptly named ‘African Dream.’

Recently, Marcia Marichetti, a very talented and famous set designer in Italy, started her workshop at Che Shale creating the most fantastic lamps, beds and jewellery.

Furniture

Her items cost a fortune in Europe but despite this, they are very popular and in high demand. A German princess residing in Watamu, together with a Korean heiress living in Lamu, decorate their houses with Marichetti’s imaginative art furniture.

There is certainly a lot to write about the Italian influence in Malindi but this Coastal town has also been influenced by other outsiders throughout history, namely the Chinese, Portuguese, Arab traders and the English settlers. The international tourists have, and still are, leaving their footprints behind.