Anne Kansiime

Anne Kansiime is a Ugandan queen of comedy whose comics have gained international following mainly through You Tube. She has become viral in the social media with her sketches depicting daily African lives. The stand- up comedian sends stitches to people watching her clips. She arrived in Malawi for a performance at the Bingu International Conference Centre ( BICC) yesterday. She has won awards for her talent, including the 2013 Black Entertainment Film Fashion Television and Arts (BEFFTA) wards, the African Social Awards Malaysia (ASAM) 2013 in Malaysia and is scheduled to receive an honorarium and award at the Afro Australian Music and Movie Awards (AMMA) 2014 on September 6 2014.

Who is Anne?

I was Born in Kabale in Uganda 27 years ago. I am the fourth child in a family of six and attended Kabale Primary School before joining Bweranyangi Girls Senior Secondary School. I graduated from Makerere University with a Bachelors of Arts in Social Sciences.

I was a stubborn student, but I was never suspended or punished in any way. When I completed school, I didn’t know I was set out to do stand- up comedy. I just knew when I grow up, I would act. In fact, I didn’t know that stand up comedy was a career when I was at university. All I knew was that it was funny.

Describe yourself in a few words.

I am an entertainer; I would like to be called a comedian, but I’m an all rounder. I can sing. I can dance and I can act. I’m happy that I have a wide fan base.

What is your background?

Although I was funny, even as a child, I didn’t know I would become an actor. My childhood dream was to be very rich but I didn’t know how. I also know that when I was young I was always on stage, singing or leading a choir. When it was dancing, I was always in the front row. I have been a performer since my childhood. My dad was a banker for about 35 years so I knew you have to work in money to make more money.

How and when did you start doing comedy?

I was introduced to stand up comedy when I joined Theatre Factory which hosts the renowned Comedy Nite at the National Theatre every Thursday in Uganda. There is this gentleman commonly known as Pablo who used to do solo acts at the Theatre Factory comedy shows. I respected him and always asked myself where he got the guts to stand on stage alone and perform. On stage, I was always there with other people doing sketches. It was Pablo who inspired me and gave me the desire to one day go on stage alone and make people laugh.

What sort or reaction did you get for doing comedy?

Initially I was a joke at school and even at home. They knew I could act, but they didn’t see it as a career. I would tell my friends that I was at the National Theatre acting and I could see they were worried about me though they didn’t want to say it. But now they look at me and say I’m exactly where I deserve to be. As for my parents, they are the proudest and happiest parents in the whole of Kabale District.

How was your first act?

I was extremely scared and nervous the first time I performed as a stand up comedian. The first time I performed alone, I wore a baby dress and was supposed to sing and recite a poem. I performed at cocktail corporate parties and spoke a lot of English and I thought that they would not laugh at my jokes. When I went on stage and held the microphone, everyone turned and wondered what the child on stage was doing. I don’t think I remember what I even said. I was too scared.

But I was overwhelmed by the attention I got from them. Shooting sketches and acting, I can do with ease, but with stand- up comedy, I’m always scared because if you’re not funny, there is no redemption for you, you die a natural death.

Are you marriad?

Yes. I am off the shelf, swept off my feet. The man, Gerald Ojok came, looked at me, saw what he liked and said: whatsup?”. I have a ring on my finger.

What else do you do apart from comedy?

I am passionate about music and I’m in the studio recording a children’s album which will be released next year (2014). I’m singing for children because they have been ignored for some time. I believe that in East Africa we need people to sing for children. Children are listening to music that is not suitable for them. But this does not mean that I’m quitting comedy.

Tell me about your visit to Malawi.

I think it’s going to be awesome for Malawi because of the bundle of things that will be happening on stage that day and there is no way we won’t have fun together because it will be you seeing me in so many different forms

How popular are you?

The world got to know me in 2012 yet I have been struggling with comedy for the last six years. It was not rewarding back then. The other challenge is that it takes so long to become an established comedian no matter how talented you are. In the beginning, I would earn as little as $10 (K4 000) per month or $20 (K 8 000) if it was a job well done. This money would not even help me with up-keep or even makeup.

What is your most memorable moment?

When I travelled outside my country for the first time to London for an event called To Be Loved. It was a meet and greet arranged by my manager and I ended up doing stand-up comedy to a sold out audience of both black and white people who, to my amazement, seemed to be getting my jokes and laughing. The venue was so full that they were sending people back. It was a proud moment for me.

Are you well-paid?

The job is paying off well now and I am reaping big. I have achieved so much. Comedy is a lucrative business. Right now I don’t go around looking for jobs; jobs come looking for me.

What inspires you?

I come up with things that people face daily. So we don’t sit down and think let’s do one on prostitution or domestic violence for example. We usually have two meetings per week with my crazy producer Mayamba and we just chat about things like what happened over the weekend. That’s why our scenes will range from court, church, home, taxi scenarios and so on.

How do you feel about your achievements?

I’m scared and sometimes sleepless because I don’t know how I’m going to maintain this fan base by cooking up new stuff to keep them interested. It’s scarier having a fan base than not having any at all. For example, in Uganda people rarely write stories of success, they like to write stories of people that are failing. I’m humbled but scared at the same time.

I know that stand up comedy is male dominated but surprisingly, my biggest support actually comes from them. They care and help me when I’m going through the material I have prepared before the show.

What have been your challenges?

The fact that I am a woman makes it hard to crack certain jokes yet my male counterparts can do it and get away with it. Given our conservative nature here in Africa, it’s hard for a woman to be as vulgar on stage as men. It’s one of the biggest challenges that I face as a female comedian.

Any last words.

As it is in most African cultures, women are not encouraged to speak in public which contradicts what I do during my shows. I think I feel sorry for them right now. No matter how society chooses to put it, some of us have decided that whether society lets us to speak or not, we are speaking. I wish to advise women who are scared about how society will perceive them that society will judge you either way. In whatever you decide to do, it will never make you a lesser female. So do the one thing you love and don’t do what you hate because society is judging.

—(Additional information sourced from newtimes.co.rw)