Japanese tennis superstar Naomi Osaka announced the launch of her media production company named Hana Kuma on 21 June in partnership with SpringHill Company of NBA legend LeBron James.
What caught the eyes of many Kenyans is the name of the company owing to it different meaning in Swahili. Kenyans on Twitter have been left talking since the name of the company was announced by the tennis ace.
Hana Kuma means “flower bear” in Japanese Osaka founded it with her longtime agent and business partner Stuart Duguid.
“There has been an explosion of creators of colour finally being equipped with resources and a huge platform,” Osaka said in a press release.
She added, “In the streaming age, content has a more global perspective. You can see this in the popularity of television from Asia, Europe and Latin America that the unique can also be universal. My story is a testament to that as well.”
According to Osaka the stories produced by the company will be “culturally specific but universal to all audiences” and aim to “tackle important issues of society.”
Hana Kuma will produce scripted and non-fiction content, with a special focus on people of colour.
“I honestly can’t say if I’ll personally be in anything right now. What excites me is being able to inspire people and tell new stories, particularly ones that I would have wanted to see when I was a kid. I always wanted to kind of see someone like me,” Osaka told the New York Times in a Zoom interview.
Hana Kuma Meaning in Swahili
Well Hana Kuma means “without vagina”. When separate ‘Hana’ means “doesn’t have” while “Kuma” means vagina. The phrase is now popular following the launch Naomi Osaka’s media house.
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