The comedy industry is Botswana is growing in leaps and bounds. 2012 was a particularly great year for Comedy for the Nation of Botswana (COFONABO), also known as the Laff-A-Lot crew, as they produced 4 DVDs; International Comedy Day show, Double Trouble, Laff-A-Lot All Stars and Meet Goodie The Badd. They also managed to open for 2 top South African acts in Trevor Noah and Barry Hilton.
Fast forward to 2013, and the Laff-A-Lot Comedy crew is back with a bang to present a fresh and innovative concept for their 1st event of the year. According to Media Liaison Officer for COFONABO, Gaolathe Kediemetse, “Having produced several Comedy Sundays with local comedians, it was only natural to grow bigger through inviting top notch international comedians to our events. These invited guests will also workshop our local comedians as a development strategy to bring them up to par when it comes to performances”.
The headliners for the upcoming show are top South African comedians Mashabela Galane and Pule (birth name, Nicholas Welch), who will be performing in Botswana for the first time. Mashabela was named Young Comedian of the Year, in the category Young Achiever in Arts and Entertainment during the Ikusasa Awards in 2012. Big names such as Loyiso Gola and Tumi Morake were also nominated for the award but Galane outshone them all. “I am privileged and honoured to get such an award since I was nominated and voted for by my fans. It is always good to know you are appreciated out there,” Galane said.
Galane went to Wits University where he obtained his Honours degree in Fine Arts. He later started his own production company called Monnatiya Productions where he deals with standup comedy, artist branding and more. Through the company he and others presented the Strictly Vernac comedy show. Galane’s acting credits include appearances in Welcome to Joburg by ZweliBanzi (Wits Theatre), Opening Guys (a short film on Mzansi Magic) and Teenagers on the Move (also a short film on SABC1). Galane says his big break came in 2009 when he was given a small part as a Nigerian gangster in the movie District 9. His comedy clips have been aired on Metro FM and on several campus tours.
The comedian has also worked with companies such as Anglo American to help convey messages on social issues such as HIV/Aids and Tuberculosis. Galane says he sees comedy as a platform to tackle social issues and to encourage change in communities. He has since released a one-man comedy DVD called “Killing the funny business kaSepedi” and also released “Rock the Mother Tongue”, a 15-track combination of house music and comedy.
Pule, who according to his biography, is affectionately known as “the black comic trapped in a white skin”, will be headlining the show with Mashabela. According to Pule, he is just “I-awuthiyasekasi” (a guy from the township) who speaks IsiCamtho (Tsotsitaal), Zulu, Setswna and English – and he is also learning French and Japanese. “I am a linguist and also involved in the study of languages,” the comic explains in a more serious tone.
Pule refers to himself as a s’khothane and says he is all about iKasi style (loosely translated as a home-brewed, original kind of style). But how did Nicholas Welch become Pule? “I was doing shows at Wits University and I featured on a DVD called Strictly Vernac in 2009. The DVD was big on the underground scene and people bootlegged it and just blew up.”
Pule has since been touring all over South Africa with his particular brand of kasi-oriented humour. He has filled the stand-up slot in three episodes of Laugh Out Loud for Mzansi Magic, he entertained Julius Malema at the ANC Youth League Comedy Show Polokwane 2011, was the headline act at 2012 State Theatre Comedy Nights and has performed at the popular 99% Zulu Comedy Show.
The event’s venue sponsor is Khwest Café and the show is slated for Sunday 03 March 2013 at 3pm. The supporting acts for the show include Laff-A-Lot crew of Augustus “Legusty” Mokgadi from Mochudi, Oefile Mawee from Gabane and the Laff-A-Lot pioneers Bafana ‘Ribcracker’ Letsatsi and Modiri ‘MOD’ Keseabetswe. The Laff-A-Lot crew will also be invading Selibe Phikwe on Saturday 02 March 2013, 7pm at Bosele Hotel.
“We have had tremendous support for our past shows from both the public and the media alike and we would like to thank them dearly. We promise a scorcher of a show with this production as we promise to surpass all the previous shows with brand new concept of fresh comedy”, says Kediemetse, who is also the event coordinator. “The main aim really is to spread awareness about standup comedy as an alternative form of entertainment that is abundant in Botswana. But the ultimate goal is help comedians turn their talent in to a livelihood”
