The comedy industry in Uganda is increasingly getting competitive and that can only mean that only the best will keep at the top. Apart from dominating and pulling crowds at the weekly comedy themed nights in Kampala, the other yardstick for comedians to measure their weight in the industry has become staging a one-man show.
Only a few have managed to pull that ambitious move off. The likes of Patrick Salvador, Anne Kansiime, MC Mariachi and MC Kapale make the list for those that fall under that category. They have tested their worth and perhaps have bragging rights when they place the word famous against their names.
But the latest comedian to join the list is one that has been around for five years but is yet to get up there. Kalela Daniel who is part of the Comedy Files outfit surprised many on Friday when he successfully staged a one-man show.
Interestingly dubbed ‘One Musoga One Chapatti’, the show was held at Theatre Labonita and as one would guess, every reveler was curious to see what the night would offer. Was the show exclusive for people that hail from Busoga? Was one required to buy a ticket using a chapatti as opposed to Shillings? Or would the chapattis be served to every guest.
People started trickling into the theatre as early as 7pm to get tickets which went for Shs 20,000 and Shs 25,000 for ordinary and VIP guests respectively.
The opening acts included a dancing crew and some rising comedians who took turns to make the revelers laugh. The most outstanding of these was a duo that go by the names Reign and Maulana.
Comedian Okello Okello who emceed the show invited the night’s big act at around 9pm, shortly after the DJ played the Busoga kingdom anthem. It made perfect sense, given the theme of the show.
When the curtains opened and the lights flashed, a set that nobody had envisioned stood in the left back corner of the stage. A typical chapatti/Rolex stall like the many that characterize road sides in Kampala suburbs. A wooden compartment sheltered in an umbrella shade. On top of the stall was a tray of eggs, a pack of baking flour and vegetables.
And sitting behind the stall was Kalela himself. As the rest of the audience cheered and tried to fathom how Kalela came up with such an alien idea, others were quickly moving to the stage and being served chapattis. Remarkable choice for an intro and perfectly relevant to the theme.
“Thanks for supporting me. Who am I? Even if I died today, I wouldn’t mind,” he joked.
Elegantly dressed in a three piece suit, Kalela would then go a full hour, particularly dwelling on what makes Busoga and its people tick, yet in several jokes making a case for the popular idea that Basoga are slow thinkers.
“As Basoga, we have it all. Ladies like Zari and Zuena might look stunning for you people in Kampala but actually back home, they are among the least attractive,” the dramatic comedian went on to jest.
His humor comes off very naturally for a graduate of Economics and Statistics from Kyambogo University. He has however exploited his ethnic background and all the stereotypes stacked against it, and it is working in his favor.
“We [in Jinja East] might have chosen the opposition but Basoga are not the best people to oppose the government. It is easier to deal with Basoga protesters. If Police fires teargas, instead of fleeing, the protesters will run towards the teargas thinking it is free baking flour for them to make chapattis,” Kalela said.
When he wasn’t praising his people for being clever, he was mocking them for not being good candidates to head the Electoral Commission, due to their honesty.
He touched other aspects like lifestyle, love relationships and other current affairs, often drawing ethnic comparisons.
For one hour, he managed to stick to the ‘One Musoga One Chapatti’ theme quite well and kept the audience chuckling.
A couple of top comedians including MC Mariachi and Pablo graced the show and so did embattled police officer, Muhammad Kirumira who said he had finally got a chance to pay for the Rolex that he was recently charged in court for stealing.
“I love comedy and I support you guys. What matters is that we need to be happy in life regardless of the kind of professions we do. Because we are going to die,” Kirumira said.
Kalela then invited his mother and close family who attended the show on stage, and introduced them to the audience. The fairly attended show ended a few minutes after 10pm.
I caught up with Kalela moments after the show, to get a sense of his reaction. But it would require several minutes of waiting patiently as his fans shook hands with him while others took selfies with the man of the night.
“I feel okay and very happy, because in the comedy industry, it is an achievement. Holding a one man show gives you value and shows your strength,” Kalela tells me when I ask how he feels about how the show went. I could see he was struggling to get the perfect words to explain his feeling.
“Being on stage for one hour is not easy”.
He says for him, the show was a statement that there are people that genuinely support him and love his craft.
Towards the end of last year, he told himself that putting up a solo show would be his 2018 resolution, but he says pulling it off came with several hardships including convincing sponsors to come on board. However, Friday’s show gave him confidence that the following annual solo editions will be successful too.
Why ‘One Musoga One Chapati’?
Kalela explains that the theme of his show was largely inspired by his ethnic identity.
“I am a Musoga,” he says, and adds; “Recently, government launched the Rolex which many people know is made by Basoga. The idea for the theme was for everyone to enjoy Busoga region within one show”.
It is no brainer that Uganda is a multicultural country with a diverse spread of ethnicities. However, of all the tribes spread across the country, it would be fair to say that the Basoga have been the most unfairly stereotyped against. Part of this stereotype is the common phrase that a Musoga can only understand at the age of 40.
“We [Basoga] are slow but then, we are cautious. We don’t make mistakes. We are slow in thinking because we have to first think before doing anything,” Kalela tells me.
“It is very hard to find a Musoga messing up in government. They can never be caught up in corruption scandals as is the case with Baganda and Banyankole. We do everything with perfection, that’s why we don’t rush”.
Inspired by one of Uganda’s pioneering clown, Amooti Omubalanguzi, he (Kalela) launched his comedy career in 2014. Back in high school, his colleagues used to tell him he would make a good comedian. And he says it is these comments that motivated him to pursue comedy.
When he is not on stage, Kalela is what he terms as ‘a VIP broker’ who helps people to process Mobile Money numbers, Tax Payer Identification Numbers (TIN) and a clearing agent for imported cargo.
Courtesy Photos by: 7 Seals Agency, Nelly Salvatore