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Auxilia Katongomara Saturday Leisure Correspondent
WOMEN continue breaking the barriers. Diana Nomsa Chibi Muleya has joined the list of women who have said there is no field which is a preserve of man.The 30-year-old Bulawayo woman has broken into the male dominated field of stand-up-comedy.
Ever wondered if women are hilarious, then make a date with Muleya. The budding lady comedian is the new-kid-on-the-block and she will definitely leave you with cracked ribs.
While fans have been used to getting rib ticklers from the likes of Clive Chigubu, Babongile Sikhonjwa and Ntandoyenkosi Moyo, Bulawayo, the hub of Zimbabwean arts, continues to produce shining stars.
Muleya, who made her debut at the Mayor’s Cheer Fund late last year, is determined to scale the heights and take comedy to another level.
Saturday Leisure caught up with the unheralded star who shared her history as well as highlight her passion for the arts.
“I was born in Harare 30 years ago and only moved to Bulawayo when I was in Form One and I attended Mzilikazi High School. I have always been interested in arts and I studied film at Ibhayisikopo before I went to South Africa,” she said.
Ibhayisikopo is a film school founded by former Amakhosi administrator Priscilla Sithole. Muleya said she was based in South Africa for two years before she decided to come back home.
She said while at Ibhayisikopo, artiste Tswarelo Mothobe always mocked her telling her she had a funny look and was humorous, something she did not take seriously.
“I then began comedy with Clive, Ntando and Prince Mahlangu at the Gallery in 2011 before I went to South Africa. I then came back last year in April and these guys pushed me to take it serious because there were no female comedians in the country and I said, why not,” she said.
The comedian said she relates to many artistes in the industry whose families have reservations of their chosen career path.
“My siblings are very supportive, actually they assist me with stuff I have to say on stage and I always practise on them. At first my mother was not supportive because she didn’t know what it was all about but now she knows Trevor Noah, she understands it,” she said.
Muleya explained that it took her almost two years before making a debut on the stage as she was terrified to stand in front of a crowd.
“I will not forget my first performance on stage, I was terrified and worried about how people would react. My colleagues – Long John and Keith Nkosi-made it easy for me as I was the third person to perform that night. The crowd was laughing, but I didn’t know whether they were laughing at me or my jokes,” she giggled.
Muleya, a mother of one, said the major challenge faced by women comedians was that other women were not supporting them.
“I have noted that women are not supportive of other females, they do not value the works of art and if I tell them I am a stand-up-comedian, they do not believe it,” she said.
“However, the support from guys has been overwhelming and I would like to urge ladies to support women in the arts,” said the comedian who is also a videographer.
She said her first piece was on various social issues.
“On my debut performance, I took a dig at pastors from several pentecostal churches that include Makandiwa, girls from the ghetto as well as men and what women think about them.”
She stressed that people in Bulawayo need to take comedy seriously as well as support arts in general
Online Reporter