FUNDI WA KOMBO

Just a couple of years ago, stand-up comedy were not very popular in Tanzania. In fact, it was almost non-existing. If it was, then it was done in very informal settings such as in the streets or local bars and not so much in prearranged settings whereby the audiences are well seated and eagerly waiting to be entertained and laugh to the point of shedding those tears of a good laugh. I am talking about the laugh that makes your entire body vibrate like a Samsung’s hand held gadget!
However, the above scenario of lack of organized stand-ups is changing or has changed. Thanks to one man who, according to his own words, he is almost on a “crusade” to change how and where we can go and have a good laugh. His name is Evans Bukuku.
He is now, by far, the new face or our own definition of Stand-Up comedy in Tanzania. He is best known for his once a month(every last Tuesday of the Month) smart and hilarious stand-up comedy routines that features him making funny of almost everything in simple and unique ways that makes everyone in the audience laugh hard (and I mean real hard).
He is also gifted with using a plethora of different voice impressions from the Jaluo, Sukuma, Chagga and you name it…all in the name of bringing real entertainment to his audience.
If you have never attended one of his events, mark your calendar. His next appearance is on Tuesday 26^th June 2012 at Nyumbani Lounge which is located near Best Bite in Namanga area.
But before going to see him and even if you have seen him before and just can’t get tired of him, I thought we’d all like to know a bit more about him. I therefore tracked him down and he granted you (through me) this exclusive interview. Below are the excerpts;
Hi Evans! It feels great to have you on BC. Welcome. How is it going?
EB: Hey Jeff, thanks for having me. I’ve heard of your work and I am humbled to have this opportunity. I’m doing well (Thank God) but it’s still a rough road ahead. . .
BC: Since this is your first time on BC, I have to ask you this otherwise some of our own fans will be pissed. Where were you born and where did you grow up, schools you attended and anything you like to share with us about your history.
EB: I was born in Shinyanga, Tanzania; my father was in the mining business. I did pre-school there in Shinyanga, but at the age of four my dad was posted to London UK. I then studied there in South East England (really good schools) up until my O-levels, whereby my Dad was recalled to Tanzania. Then I studied in Iringa (really bad govt. school) and had the biggest cultural shock ever! (It just wore off last month!)
BC: Comedy is art. How has your life influenced your art? What influenced you to get into comedy? Is this what you wanted to do since childhood or you are one of those people who got themselves doing what they are doing by “accident”?
EB: Life hasn’t influenced my art, rather life IS my art, especially when it comes to Standup Comedy. All the anecdotes, jokes, observations and impromptu are just reflections of my life. My friends influenced me to get into comedy; at a young age (11yrs) I was told “you should be a comedian’ but I could never get enough courage to tell my dad (knowing African dads, that would be a short conversation) so ended up buffooning around friends, but having a different kind of persona when with family. I never got into comedy by accident, and ever since I officially signed up, my vision has never been clearer.
BC: How was your first experience as a stand-up comedian? Were you nervous? How did you prepare yourself for such an experience?

EB: My very first stand-up experience was in a church . My aunt thought I could make a few people laugh, and I could do a good Onyango impression (Jaluo accent), so she ‘pushed’ me to standup and make people laugh. I tied a handkerchief on my hand then tried to make a joke about how I tried to wash my TV with soap and water. Precisely; it wasn’t funny, I mumbled a few things then went to sit down and forget about the whole episode . . . till today!

But my first official standup gig was in 2009 and I’d been checking out so many American standup comedians and thoroughly analyzed what they were doing, and felt I could pull something off. So I joined up our team of Merry Men, a musician, Enika, another musician and gifted artist/comedian Saganda, and an old school entertainer and dancer – Bob Rich. We did a few rehearsals at my crib then we were good to go. It was a very haphazard event, but I have never looked back since.

Evans in action. Mission: Make them laugh!

BC: How long have you been a professional comedian? What other kind of work have you done, and how have those other jobs helped to shape your current career?

EB: I’ve been a professional standup comedian since December 2010. I’ve done a whole host of jobs, and each has had its positive effect on my current career. I used to sell sausages (long story), I’ve been in advertising, I’ve sold new cars, I’ve been a radio and tv presenter, I’ve driven a truck selling tea around Tanzania, I’ve sold cakes on a bicycle, I did a Chinese take-away business whilst in high school, I’ve been a door-to-door salesman in London (almost machinga style, but more organized),I’ve washed cars to make extra money. . .so all of these have in some way affected my personal ethos on my career and my discipline.
BC: It goes without saying that the timing and delivery of a joke are of utmost importance, but what do you feel is the most critical aspect of stand-up comedy?
EB: I’d say the most critical aspect of standup is being you. Being comfortable in front of people you do not know and going ahead even if you get a few moments of silence. It’s easier to move forward if you are yourself, rather than spending too much time being a performer (i.e. being conscious of your scenario).
BC: How do you flesh out your material? Do you use everyday incidents, or news items, or family stories — or all — to form your acts?
EB: Like I said before, life is my material, so that’s the majority of my source. I used observational, impromptu, song, accents, but I also use “what if” scenarios, which are inkling into my world of innovation.

BC: Tell me a bit about your typical day when you have a show in the evening. How do you start such a day? Are there any kinds of special rituals you have to do before going on stage?
EB: It’s usually a very edgy day for me; I am very hyper and nervous at the same time. I get to rehearsals (yes, we rehearse after my experience with professionals on MNet Live in Mombasa & Kampala events) at around 2pm. I then talk to fellow colleagues about final program, tech checks, last minute adjustments etc. I go through last minute changes in my script. I usually leave the venue at around 4-5pm then go home, shower and change, eat my dinner, have a **** (trade secret), then head to the venue with inspirational music on my stereo on VERY LOUD. I spend my time backstage monitoring the curtain-raiser performances and making notes for future reference. Then I say a little prayer just before going on set.

Evans Bukuku with Gaetano Kagwa (Big Brother Africa) during the shooting of Comedy Club – Live in Kampala (Mnet Production) which is currently airing (repeats) on Mnet channels.

BC: For centuries, comedians have been a great tool for sending messages, sometimes very serious messages. They will make you laugh and at the same time make you think deeply afterwards. For you, when do you consider your mission accomplished? Is it when you make people laugh or when the message is sent…or both?
EB: My first and foremost objective is to make people laugh continuously, whether or not I have a message in there is secondary.
BC: Although comedy has existed in Tanzania for centuries, stand-up comedy wasn’t that popular in Tanzania till recent or till you brought it back in the way you did or are doing. And I have seen you bringing along newer talents to your show. Do you have specific plans to make stand-up comedy a “thing” in Tanzania? How has comedy changed since you first started?
EB: Most definitely! We have been doing monthly standup comedy shows in Dar es Salaam since December 2010 to date. We nurture and train upcoming talents and really invest in them. It is definitely part of our larger strategy to create a comedic network first in Tanzania then beyond and we have already begun. We invited a British artist (Jane Bussmann) who has performed in the UK Parliament, but we also invited a Ugandan and Kenyan comedian to perform in our year-end special. We are also in talks with various comedians from Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Nigeria and Malawi and here at home in Tanzania. We have collaborated with Uncle KochiKochi (great outfit) and we have invited various local comedians to our shows including: Prezor Chavala, Mpoki, Saganda, Steve Nyerere etc. We are very serious, we no joke oh!! (In Nigerian accent)!

This is what happens when you attend Vuvuzela Nights with Evans Bukuku on the mic.Laugh!

BC: What’s something that most of your fans probably would be surprised to learn about you?
EB: I’ve a very serious individual.
BC: What is your advice to people still working to be publicly acknowledged for their art — or in any profession, for that matter?
EB: STOP! You should never wait for public acknowledgement for anything, it is YOUR life. Are you happy doing what you’re doing? If yes, then keep on doing it to the best of your ability. Whether or not acknowledgement comes is not for you, it’s your legacy. Look at Vincent Van Gough, Galileo etc. Just believe and move forward on your own vision, the rest will fall into place.
BC: What are your comments or thoughts about the state of films (Bongo Movies) in Tanzania? Are we heading towards the right direction or something needs to happen drastically?
EB: What’s happening with Bongo Movies is a reflection on what’s happening in many industries and even leadership across Tanzania. I have a saying: “Msingi wa ujanja, mwisho ghorofa tatu” This basically means that you cannot build something substantial if you are not prepared to put in the hard work on creating a strong foundation. Bongo Movies is such an example. For instance, we do not have active theatre clubs where acting talents can be groomed. It doesn’t cost much money, and the BM heavyweights could easily sensitize young upcoming talents to do be involved, instead of just focusing just on the lifestyle and scandals. At the end of the day, that’s what aspiring talents look toward, cars, houses, women etc.
We don’t even have proper structures in place for sales, distribution, promotion etc. Look at Drive-in of yesteryears, something similar could easily be put into place which would create a family based weekly event across the country, something much needed. Instead we have to rely on these dodgy TV shacks or ‘local cinemas” which are misleading, uncensored and unregulated.
BC: If I am right (please correct me if I am wrong) most of the Vuvuzela Shows have been happening in Dar-es-salaam. Are there any plans for a country-wide tour or even world-wide tour especially in countries where many Tanzanians reside? Remember, you’re being read from all areas of the globe right now, so go for it.
EB: You are very right; we have only done shows in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. There are plans to go regional, in time but we don’t want to jump too quickly. We want to build our ‘msingi’ first.

BC: What are your plans for the rest of 2012? Where can fans see you perform, and do you have any new projects underway?
EB: We are well underway in our plans for 2012, for example we have already created and aired almost the whole season of our TV show called Vuvuzela Comedy Show which has been received very well. On top of this, I am now a radio presenter on English speaking Choice FM 102.6 which is part of our strategy. We have a few specials coming up involving comedians from outside Tanzania. We have many new things we want to do, but limited resources are probably our biggest challenge, but we remain positive and focused. For those who want to see us perform, we are at Nyumbani Lounge Nr. Best Bite Namanga every last Tuesday of the month, next one being on Tuesday 26^th June 2012.
BC: Thanks for your time Evans. I just wanted commend you for the great work that you’re doing. It’s really something that’s so needed and you’re filling that need.
EB: Thank you Jeff, it’s only by putting our resources together and acknowledging each other’s strengths that we can even hope for a better future for Tanzanians without dependence on others. Be blessed.


Read more: A CANDID INTERVIEW WITH COMEDIAN EVANS BUKUKU - BongoCelebrity