He cracks ribs: Dolibondo, real name Felix Jesero, is a comedian from Laftaz Comedy Group. He earlier on wanted to be a musician but the comedy bug bit him and he gave up his desire to sing. He meets his fan Daniel Alibawaani.
Comedians are known to be unserious people in society. Why did you decide to join that class of unserious people?
As I was growing up, I wanted to be a musician but the desire and talent I had in comedy gave me the platform I desired, so there was no need to sing. I always wanted to seek attention and comedy gave me that.
I have noticed that most Ugandan comedians copy themselves all the time. Is this okay for you guys?
First and foremost, we lack professionalism and we haven’t taken comedy to be a serious career, that is why we copy and paste but the most important thing is to attribute to the composer of the joke.
Another reason is that we put pressure on ourselves and end up taking other comedian’s jokes. For example, we don’t do research. Most times, we talk about things the audience doesn’t know about or we talk about what we don’t know, yet the audience knows more.
Lastly, we forget that comedy is not music where an artiste’s song can be played in a school, bar, at a function and so on. When it comes to comedy, jokes have to be made relating to certain functions or audiences.
What is your best audience ever since you started doing comedy?
Bars and theatres because they don’t limit me. I can say anything and people will laugh unlike schools where you have to watch your language and most cases limit yourself to only music jokes, because it’s what they understand most.
Have you ever been embarrassed on stage?
Yes. The first time I hit stage, I came rapping an Eminem song during the Stage To Fame search. The audience abused me thinking I was an artiste, but I took them by surprise when I switched to jokes, that they didn’t want me to leave.
Who is your best comedian and why?
Amooti is my best because he is very natural and creative. He is the only comedian I know who can make a joke out of a sad moment.
Do you get stage fright before you step on stage?
Yes and let no one tell you they don’t. Ironically, whenever I get stage fright, that is when I get the best response from the crowd. It’s hard for someone not to get stage fright.
You guys broke into two groups. Where do you belong, Crackers or Krackers?
Crackers no longer exists. We all had shares in Crackers, but when we separated, the shares went with us. Krackers has Salvado and Alex Muhangi who chose not to join us when we disbanded Crackers. When we left, we decided to make a place that has a name with a comedy attachment to it. That is how we came up with Laftaz Comedy Lounge. We decided to create a platform for upcoming talent, that is why I make fewer appearances these days as opposed to a while ago when I used to perform every week.
Are you just into comedy or you have something else you are doing?
No. I other things. Besides comedy, I have a company called Bigyard that does graphics, all kinds of print jobs and binding.
What car do you drive and did you acquire it from comedy earning?
I drive a Toyota Will VS and yes, I bought it off my comedy earnings.
How many minutes should a good comedian last on stage?
A minimum of 10 to 15 minutes for professionals, depending on the response you get from the crowd.
MEET YOUR CELEB
Send an e-mail to sqoop@ug.nationmedia.com and tell us the celebrity you want to meet and we shall make it happen. Don’t forget to include your telephone contact.
You can also SMS us. Type the word Sqoop (leave a space), the name of the celeb and send to 6933.
