a�?Tuku did it before you Carla��

Bruce Ndlovu
PRIOR to his tour to the Far East, Carl Joshua Ncube thought he would be breaking new ground and infiltrating new territory for his country artistes across the board, only to discover that another Zimbabwean had already been there and done that.

According to the comediana��s recent chronicles of his trip to Asia, he was surprised to find out while on his sojourn that Oliver a�?Tukua�? Mtukudzia��s considerable reach had seen him establish a sizeable following in far off Singapore.

a�?What I learnt was that the Zimbabwean story is valid to a global audience. Secondly I learnt that there is just no limit to the possibilities in terms of how far we can take Zimbabwean art. I met people in Singapore who knew about Tuku. I mean Tuku is there already, so if he can do it then why cana��t I be there too,a�? he said.

Besides the surprising fact of Tukua��s popularity, he said that he had found out that cultures in both countries are not that different.

a�?If you look at the kind of food that we eat and the way that we raise our kids there are so many similarities. Ita��s scary when you think about it, things that they find funny that side Zimbabweans also find funny,a�? he said.

Ncube added that the trip had also helped him gain fresh appreciation of the strides made by the countrya��s comedy scene.

a�?If you look at what is happening on their comedy scene, Zimbabwe is actually on the right track. I was actually quite shocked. We are on the right path but we just didna��t know it yet,a�? he said.