ONE ON ONE: Funnyman’s quest to take his jokes global

Vincent Muasya, also known as Chipukeezy, is a man on a mission. The comedian, who burst into the scene telling tales of Mlolongo and his Kamba relatives, seems to have come of age and is trying to take his craft regional with his one-man shows. spoke Buzz spoke to the funny man about his winning formula

How many shows do you do in a week?

Many, my schedule is beginning to look like Kevin Hart’s (laughs). On top of my daily radio show, I do an average of three shows a week. Sometimes I can do four gigs in one weekend — I can be in Uganda on Friday, drop to Mombasa on Saturday, come back to Nairobi the same day, drive out of town for another show, and be back in Nairobi on Sunday for several appearances.

What kind of crowds do you pull?

Festivals have a life of their own, so it’s hard to tell if people are there to see you or other acts. Nevertheless, at my first one-man show in Dubai we got about 1,500 people.

And at my second show at Weston Hotel, Nairobi, we had to turn away about 400 people because the room could hold only 1,000. Our latest was a special showcase to thank all our sponsors who have taken this journey with us, so we had only 300 people.

Why did you decide to do one-man shows?

It was time; this industry needed to go to the next level and one-man shows were the obvious next step. Kenyan comedy has evolved, from Mzee Ojwang and Vitimbi days, Red Korna, to Churchill Show.

We need to keep taking it to the next level. Most comedians today don’t have content, they are just single characters in a TV show, hence they are resigned to being MCs. One-man shows are not easy to pull off, but are the way to go.

I had to really push myself out of my comfort zone and develop content for a global audience. I also have a really good team who’ve really worked hard to put everything together.

What kind of reaction did you get when you did your first show?

Amazing. For the first time in my life I got a standing ovation at the Weston show. I almost cried, man! Everybody came through, from Huddah Monroe, Kajairo, even Kanyari. Jaguar loved my show so much he gave me Sh30,000 on the spot; Mongolo gave me Sh10,000. It really motivated me to keep going; my calendar is packed till about mid next year, but I keep an eye open for the next show.

What is your secret?

I am very prayerful. Every single success I have today started as a prayer request. I also work hard and take big risks; you will be shocked at how many people will support you if you just take the first step. My corporate partners have really come through for me and I thank God for them.

What did your parents want you to do?

My mum wanted me to join the army, and I had my heart set on being a journalist. But I ended up in comedy. In fact, my mum had never really liked my comedy until she saw me with the President.

How did you end up in comedy?

It’s a funny story. I grew up in “shagz”, so we didn’t have TV or much knowledge about popular comedians and shows. I discovered Churchill at a cyber café as I was trying to learn computers; I watched on TV what he was doing and I felt I could do it.

I went to the Carnivore venue, Nairobi, just to see the guy and tell him he was doing a good job. After chatting with him for a few seconds he told me I should audition, but his team didn’t think I was funny.

I auditioned many times before I finally appeared on TV. I fell off the bar stool when I first saw myself on TV, and it wasn’t due to the beer. Unfortunately; it was the last episode of the season and the show took a two-year break.

What did you do in the interim and did you finish the diploma course?

No, I dropped out after the first semester to pursue comedy. So when the show went off air, I talked to Churchill to hook me up with anything just to keep me going. I ended up in theatre, narrating segments for Heartstrings Ensemble plays.

My English was horrible, but I had been paid to do it, so the audience had to deal with it. My directors, Victor Ber and Sammy Mwangi, really worked on my presentation. With time my English improved and so did my comedy.

I was also doing road shows and the Kid’s Festival with Churchill’s Laugh Industry, so at least I did not go hungry. When Churchill Show came back, I was ready for the big stage. Life has never been the same.

Where has comedy taken you?

It’s got me out of trouble several times; I was about to get expelled from high school for sneaking out but I begged the head teacher in such a funny way in front of the whole school that he let me stay.

Growing up, I always wanted to board an aeroplane and, thanks to comedy, I now have frequent flyer miles. I get upgraded in hotels and planes, all thanks to comedy.

Did you leave ‘Churchill Show’?

‘Churchill Show’ is home; Dan (Churchill) is our father. No matter where we go, we always come back home. When you mature, you venture out to try new things, so you can have something to share when you go back home. I had to create room for new talent to flourish. The new talent needed space to grow, and they have.

What’s next for Chipukeezy?

More work and less sleep, showbiz sio mchezo (is not easy). Diamond, Eric Omondi and Churchill are all working hard to stay at the top, and I have to keep up with them.