Sista Sasha takes on ‘Sashamani’
Published:Tuesday | December 14, 2021 | 12:09 AMSade Gardner/Staff Reporter
Some know her as Sasha or Sista Sasha, but if you’ve been following her on social media recently, you’ll also be familiar with her new alias, Sashamani. The gospel singer calls it a rebranding that was partly inspired by the virtual times of the pandemic, which have influenced many in her field to increase their social-media engagement.
“You don’t push against the wind, you have to move with the wind,” Sista Sasha told The Gleaner. “The wind is blowing online … The energy, the vibes, the attention - that is where everybody is locked on, so you have to just move with the wind. What could I have done outside of that to say, ‘Hey, I am here and I am working, and this is what is going on?’ So I definitely had to make people feel my presence on social media … . The wind did just a blow inna the ‘mani’, and I said you know what, I like this. It’s like a rebrand: I’m thinking fresh and new lyrics and I’m using a new platform to promote things, so why not just rebrand? I decided to add on the ‘mani’ and say ‘Sashamani’, and I like it because there’s so much things I’m thinking about.”
She has executed the latter over the past couple of months through Sashamani Fire Kitchen, a cooking series that she uploads to her YouTube channel and social media. From dropping tips like using sweet pepper to up your rice and peas game, or teaching you how to get the perfect boiled dumpling, the content has been showing a more open side of the singer. She’s also shown “Sashamani” in the gym, which is not only workout sessions, as she drops gems about societal issues and her own life experiences.
CULINARY DREAMS
“I really love cooking and it’s actually something I’m planning to pursue,” she said. “I even rather cooking over being an artiste, so my lifetime goal is to open a restaurant and call it Sashamani Fire Kitchen, so I’m going to start up my YouTube channel. My fans are cussing me ‘cause I keep on saying I’m going to officially set up the thing and I’ve been procrastinating. I said I was waiting on my island, now I got the island. I was waiting on my lighting, and now I have my lighting, and I’m still procrastinating, but I’m glad the Christmas season is coming so it’ll give me the opportunity to share some dishes that people can even do for their Christmas dinner, and I’m going to upload it on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and all of that.”
As an advocate for a healthy lifestyle, she will also be sharing useful ways to eliminate harmful ingredients from your meals while still “making your pot pop”.
Besides her rebranding and cooking venture, Sista Sasha has been busy in the studio and is working on releasing her sophomore gospel album in February 2022.
She dropped her debut album, Breaking Free in 2014, and her Bumpy Ride EP in 2020.