‘I ventured into comedy for my father’ – Carl Joshua Ncube

Mbulelo Mpofu, Showbiz Reporter
COMEDIAN Carl Joshua Ncube has opened the lid on how his comic journey began, something that he didn’t see himself doing back in the day.

He was on his way to becoming a graphic designer, but Carl instead, did stand-up comedy on behalf of his late father, Charles in order to fulfill his potential since he believed that his father was going to be a renowned comic.

Charles Ncube used to be a technical graphics, woodwork, and metalwork teacher at Njube, Founders and Gifford High Schools but would double that up with being an events director where he would tell jokes. According to Carl, he was afraid to take up comedy as a profession.

“To be honest, I never wanted to be a comedian. I had a different plan altogether. I was into marketing and graphic design and all I wanted was for my father, Charles Ncube, to have the recognition of being one of the best stand-up comedians this country ever had.

“So I thoroughly studied the comedy business to know exactly how to put this legend on the map,” narrated Carl.

“My childhood was all about daddy or Uncle Charles as he was popularly known in Bulawayo, telling jokes and making people laugh all the time. He would even make me tell his jokes as a child and parade me to his friends as his little genius son Josh who could learn anything!”

Basically, Carl’s idea was to manage his father to be a superstar in the comic business. Sadly, he died in 2011 before Carl could execute the plans he had for his career.

“I carry this hurt that all these plans I had, never happened for him. I eventually became a comedian who used to tell my father’s jokes as a healing tool. This was also to make sure that his legacy lives on as I believe he would’ve been one of the greatest comics to come from Zimbabwe,” Carl said.

His fondest memory of his father would be performing with him in Bulawayo in 2010, a year before his demise.

“The first time we performed together was at Elite 400 at a show dubbed, “BIG ANNOUNCEMENT Bulawayo” on December 17, 2010. That was the last time I saw him as he died the week I came home from a tour of South Africa in 2011,” shared Ncube.

And now, what started off as a way to honour his late father’s legacy eventually led to Carl performing globally and gaining recognition in the process. He has since grown his portfolio, adding music, acting, cooking, and consultancy into it. – @MbuleloMpofu