Chronicle Editor
Mbulelo Mpofu, Showbiz Reporter
MAKING people laugh for once is good, but achieving that feat for a decade is great. Bulawayo’s flagship comic melting pot, Umahlekisa Entertainment will be celebrating 10 years of artistic presence on April 1 at a venue yet to be announced.
Speaking to Chronicle Showbiz, Umahlekisa Entertainment director Ntando Van Moyo, said:
“It (being in the comedy for 10 years) means a lot to me. Actually, I was shocked to realise it’s been that long. We’ve made some strides even though we are still far off the mark in terms of our original 10-year work plan.
“The main idea has been creating a platform for comedians and artistes, fostering collaborations among creatives, and giving birth to competition in the humour sector in the city.
“We’ve been a huge influence in the formation of other comedy platforms within the city and beyond and for that, it’s a big achievement for us to inspire others,” Moyo said.
Under the theme “Ten years a Fool”, Umahlekisa Entertainment will see a cocktail of comics sharing the stage to push the adage “Laughter truly is the best medicine for one’s soul”.
Moyo distinctly remembers how it all began and picked out meeting former music icon, Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi as the pinnacle of Umahlekisa Entertainment.
“My fondest memory of being the director of Umahlekisa was when Oliver Mtukudzi pulled through for our show during the trade fair (ZITF) at Rainbow Hotel. It was on the opening night of ZITF in 2016. From the meet-up, he invited us to come and perform at Pakare Paye.
“Those were the good times, but the downs have been largely economic, lack of support here and there coupled with some negative acts from some comics.
The biggest downside of things was losing one of the founding members of the club, Clive Chigubhu who was instrumental in terms of grooming talent when we started in 2013. We’ll pay tribute to him at the anniversary celebrations,” said Moyo.
Recently, Umahlekisa Comedy club partnered with the House of Arts Association, Yellow World, and other sponsors to take mental health discussions to nightclubs and pubs.
Sidumisile Mabena