Bikiloni and Difikoti invites Izeki ndi Jakobo to Zambia

Malawi flagship comedians Izeki ndi Jakobo on Easter Monday proved the reason they have stayed long in the game as they gave an impressive ensemble that earned admiration from their Zambian counterparts, Bikiloni and Difikoti, at the Easter Theatre Festival at Blantyre Cultural Centre (BCC) such that they got an invitation to perform in Zambia.

In an interview, Bikiloni, real name Levison Nkhoma, said Izeki ndi Jakobo had a following in Zambia, who would love to see the comedians in action.

“They are loved from Chipata to Lusaka. Art unites our two countries even further. There is a lot we have learnt from Malawi, for instance, we loved your poetry,” he said.

His colleague, Thomas Sipala, said the visit to Zambia will tighten the artistic cords between Malawi and Zambia.

“It was great sharing the stage with local artists as well as our colleague [Clive Chigubu] from Zimbabwe. The arts are deep in Malawi although I see a lack of support from the corporate world. In the absence of an arts council, I guess you will have it difficult to develop talent,” he said.

Izeki ndi Jakobo performed right after Zimbabwean comedian got off stage.

Their fans went to watch Izeki ndi Jakobo expecting to laugh, such that just by their mere presence on stage, the audience started laughing.

Everything for the comic duo is a joke as long as they are on stage. For instance, as they made their entrance, they poked fun on the performance of Zimbabwean stand-up comedian, Chigubu.

“Jakobo: Koma ndiye mnyamata wavina eeh! Mwati ameneyu wachokadi kunja?

Izeki: Inu kunja amakwera Munorurama? Olo potsanzika umangoti ndachoka ndibwera pompano,” went the duo’s dialogue.

Throughout their routine, the comedians poked fun at each other, starting from picking fun on each other’s bizarre fashion sense to random jokes.

Although some of the jokes they threw at the audience were old, the duo gave them freshness such that they sounded even funnier.

The Zambian comic duo Bikiloni and Difikoti, on the other hand, was also on point as they threw random jokes and raised funny situations on stage.

The comedians made fun on everything such that it was not easy for journalists to take pictures of the performance without being picked on. Or they could stop the performance to pose for the photograph.

Chigubu was a marvel to watch as he gave an energetic performance full of mime and dance.

Chigubu gave contrasting funny analyses of Malawi and Zambia. He spoke about the depreciation of the Zimbabwean dollar and the friendliness of Malawians with random jokes in between.

The local stand up comedians Mada Nyambo and Mr Jokes came on stage and gave a stand up routine. It was literally standing up and cracking random jokes. Unlike Chigubu, who included mime, Nyambo and Mr Jokes did not use their stage as much as the Zimbabwean counterpart. During most of their routine, they stood on stage like they were preachers giving a sermon at a funeral.

After three days of a theatre festival, organisers Solomonic Peacock’s director MacArthur Matukuta said the stage will be set again next year March.

“We are in talks with a Kenyan comedian so that the festival gets better,” he said.