Chaponda in stand-up comedy tour
UK-based Daliso Chaponda flies into Malawi this month to stage Antisocial Commentator, a stand-up comedy which will bring back smiles on the faces of Malawians reeling from a torturous year.
An itinerary released on Tuesday shows the witty son of Minister of Education George Chaponda will kick-start his tour on January 27 at Crossroads Hotel in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe, and debut at Robin’s Park in Malawi’s commercial city, Blantyre, the following day.
In an interview on Facebook, the comical Chaponda discredited the philosophy which holds his speciality a platform for rowdy clowns in rags. He says his job is a very worthwhile enterprise both artistically and financially.
“Any entertainer who is starting out will struggle to make money and have [sleepless] nights when no one laughs. Once a comedian becomes skilled, it can be very lucrative. Also, the adoration of beautiful young ladies is a bonus,” he said.
He traces his rocket rise to high school jokes that sparked no smile on the face of a girl he admittedly happened to be madly in love with.
“I always regretted this. Years later, when I was in Canada, I saw an ad for a comedy open mic. I went and tried to do stand-up comedy partly as a gift to my younger self. It went very well and it was addictive,” he explains.
The performer believes the rare art has the magic to win hearts of more ladies than one and to erase contours of anger in a sad society.
“Comedy cannot, for instance, start a revolution or stop a man from beating his wife. However, it can poke fun at a despot and raise awareness of abuse. Above all, it is enjoyable; it is an emotional release. That’s good for society. Also, beautiful young ladies adore it,” he explains.
And you don’t ask a teacher how many lessons they’ have taught.
He admittedly delivers about five shows a week since he became a professional joker seven years ago and considers every lady-dominated audience a success.
The Northwest England Comedian of the Year and the Carl Brandon Society Award nominee says accolades matter less than a happy audience to him.
“The Antisocial Commentator does not really have an overarching agenda except to impress beautiful young ladies and leave them with lots of laughter,” says Chaponda, who used the same stage with Nigeria’s Basket Mouth during Stand Up Africa show in South Africa last year.
He says promoters of the event were interested in doing a Malawian version. While in the country, he plans to look for sponsorship and sell his offerings to various radio stations
