“We want to make Tanzania the mecca of stand-up-comedy!” Interview with Evans Bukuku, one of the best-known comedians in the Tanzanian comedy scene. Through his own comedy club “Evans Bukuku's Comedy Club” (2010-2015), Bukuku created a venue for Tanzanian stand-up. 

This interview was conducted by Mira Weidner who is studying International Studies with a focus on African history, politics, economics and Kiswahili and was doing an internship at Tanzania Network in 2024. 

Which role does comedy play in Tanzania?

Comedy is catharsis, so basically, it is a release. Because we are living in a developing country, this comes with problems: with running water, roads, medical services, lack of jobs, lack of money and opportunity, security issues here and there. So, people need a release, but the release has to be better than the truth. So, in the end, we as comedians are doctors, without having medical PhD or masters. 

What are the most prominent topics you deal with?

Comedians are different in the way we write. I am more observational; I am in the media industry. And so, I will talk about the economy, a bit of politics, and the happenings of the world, locally, internationally, and regionally. I will also talk about relationships, my own experiences and use that as a springboard into other things.

Which role plays freedom of expression to you?

Right now, you have to be careful with freedom of expression in Tanzania, especially on two fronts. One is politics, the second religion. Be very wary of what you say, how you say it and why. For any upcoming comedian, just stay away from these areas until you are mature. When someone goes into the army on the first day, you do not hand them a hand grenade. You know, those things can end you quickly. So, you have to first take rubber bullets, guns and water pistols, and then you move up until you can actually do the real thing.

Does this mean that you deal with political issues?

Yes, I do. I do not try and go too deep because sometimes it is not worth going there when there is so much other material to be done. So, you touch on various areas, but as time goes on, you understand how to walk that line. You have to be very careful how you move forward with anything pertaining to politics. I do not intend on becoming a politician myself, but you never know.
(Laughter)

Often cartoons are seen as a tool to critically reflect on political issues. Do you see humor as a tool to comment on politics as well?

Absolutely. It is a reflection of how people feel. So, if I make a joke and you laugh, that means we have a commonality. There is something where we agree on our perspective regarding the topic at hand. The tricky part is to make sure that you do it in such a way that it does not result in fingers being pointed at you. And then, you have to remember that there are so many angles to
comedy: stand-up, cartoons, sitcoms, plays, theatre and drama. Everyone focusses only on stand-up when it comes to comedy because it is the backbone of them all. But after all, even ads, like TV and radio ads, can be comedy. I would say that it is very important for us to expand our horizons as opposed to everybody trying to do the same thing.

I also read that you just did some shows in Germany and the Netherlands. How was your experience?

It was nice. I got to test my jokes on people who do not know me at all, so even if I am not funny, I do not care. It is important for a comedian to know if your joke travels because some jokes are very local and some jokes are like a national joke. I could go to a random island somewhere, and the joke would do quite well. The biggest difference I noticed from the audience was actually the skin color. They are very, very pale. (Laughter) The biggest thing you know is that, as human beings, we are all essentially the same.

What are some of the challenges you face as a comedian?

I think the new culture of the Instagram generation – the instant gratification - they want everything now, and it is so hard. They do not understand that it is a long game for someone to create an hour of comedy and that it might take various runs to get the best version of that one hour. Another challenge is that people are not taking us seriously; lots of comedians are single. (Laughter) You know these shows where there are a lot of women rating guys, and if a woman does not like a guy they pop a balloon. The minute you tell a woman “I'm a comedian,” they pop it. And the one who is remaining, you ask her, “Why didn't you pop it?” She would answer, “I tried to pop, but my pin broke.” (Laughter) It is because it is a field of lowincome artists, so it is important for people to understand that comedy is the basis for all these other platforms which can allow you to make money. In America, one of the most developed markets is that you do comedy in comedy clubs and all these arenas, and then one day, you get to do a late-night show. These shows already have a viewership of 1,000,000 and an established host, and then you get your five minutes to shine there and all of a sudden you can become big; you can start touring. You go to another level! And so that is how you make your money, but that is a long game.

How do you see the future of Tanzania's comedy scene?

My wish for me and my business partner is to make Tanzania the mecca of stand-up comedy in Africa. By aligning with so many comedy platforms from across the continent and beyond. By inviting and having strong, affording partnerships. There are so many artists now from the continent. The other day, a comedian who is big in Nigeria performed on our stage for the first time, and so as time goes on, one day he will invite us to Nigeria, and we will talk to a Nigerian audience. We have done so many exchange programs, that means we are building a company by giving artists different markets and more exposure. We are more than a comedy club. We are also good at creating products for professional media and mainstream TV, so it is way beyond a comedy club. We have some of our content going out there worldwide, someone enjoying our content in Brazil. And where AI is taking it, AI might be able to translate it in the future. It is very possible, I see it so clearly.

Dieser Artikel stammt aus dem HABARI-MAGAZIN 3/2024 "Humor – Heiterkeit mit Hintersinn". Im Heft lesen Sie außerdem über Swahili-Humor, Lachen in der Corona-Pandemie, interkulturelle Missverständnisse oder die Bedrohung der Meinungs- und Redefreiheit . Jetzt bestellen!