King of laughs; Malawian comedian Snooze gets SA laughing

All hail the king. Malawi’s new English stand-up comedian is born. His name is Mbeu ‘Snooze’ Kambuwa.

For those that have been following the South African-based comedian, Snooze is not a new name.

But for those who are wondering who Snooze is, here is his story.

The comedian shot to fame last week courtesy of Comedy Central’s Grab The Mic contest in Johannesburg.

The amateur comedy talent search reached its pinnacle on October 1 when eight finalists battled it out for the ultimate prize. Contestants had earned their places in the final after winning a spot during monthly open mic auditions held at Parker’s between January and August 2015.

Born Tafadzwa Mbeu Kambuwa, the thespian is the youngest of three kids, born in Malawi, but educated in South Africa from primary through to tertiary level.

He only gave comedy a try two years ago and surely his choice is fast paying dividends.

“I started comedy in early 2013. It had been something that I’d always pictured myself being able to do and also a passion of mine. My first show was in a small dingy pub in Durban called New York Cafe. I was coerced by a comedian named Dusty Rich—a seasoned comedian who opens for Trevor Noah.

“Since that day, I’ve never looked back. But I can honestly say that 2015 is the year I chose to take my comedy craft seriously, and it is really paying off,” said the artist in an interview.

Self motivation pushed him into stand-up comedy.

Naturally, Snooze says he sees things differently with his eyes and mind always picking the humorous side of almost everything about life.

“The thing that motivated me to give stand up comedy a try was a certain observation I made. For some reason unknown to me, my mind has a way of seeing things differently. We can be a group of people, witnessing the same event but in most cases, what I see and what other people see will be complete polar opposites. I soon realised that my mind actually translates situations and events into humorous narratives or comedy, so to speak.

“I have a sneaking suspicion that it comes from my upbringing. I was very fortunate to grow up in the family with the gift of the gag. From my mom to my dad and my older sisters too, I was nurtured by people who could make light of any of life’s obstacles. People who could find the funny in everyday matters and laugh their way into seeing the glass as half full.

“This is what sparked my passion for comedy. I’d say my comedy journey thus far has been surreal. I still see myself as that boy from Lilongwe. And every time I step onto the stage, I am pitted up against the best that South Africa has to offer. That’s what pushes me to work my craft harder, and I’m glad to see it’s paying off,” he said.

Talking about the contest which allowed newcomers to the stand-up scene to flex their comedic muscles in front of an audience and a panel of judges, if the win is anything to go by, the win could very well be the first step that will help Snooze claim his place amongst South Africa’s elite comedy fraternity in future, according to South African online reports.

Just like other contestants, Snooze had only five minutes to impress the judges at the grand final of the contest, beating the competition due to his unique style, strong presence and an amazing performance, the reports add.

But what made him stand out from the rest of the contestants?

“I think what made me win was the way I differentiated myself. Being the only non-South African on the line-up, I decided that I was going to use that to my advantage. Where most comedians focused on race-based humour, I approached my material and subject matters from the unique perspective of a foreign national. I used my Malawianess and personal experiences to differentiate myself from anything else they would see that night. This approach, combined with jokes I’d been crafting for months resulted in a Snooze experience unlike any other,” he said.

However, he claims all this is contrary to popular belief, that pits him as an extrovert.

“I’m very introverted. I fancy myself as creative—as I thrive on coming up with ideas. I’m involved in various disciplines of creativity such as advertising, comedy, movie production, radio production, voiceovers, music and fashion design. But most of all I just love to laugh,” he said.

After the win, Snooze is moving fast towards moving steps ahead with comedy.

Said the comedian: “Next after the win, I’m definitely going to up my game. Ironically, Comedy Central is no laughing matter. They take comedy very seriously, as they broadcast comedy to a worldwide audience. I want to use this platform to grow the Snooze brand. I also want people who see me for the first time to watch and think wow, i really like this guy.”

For Malawians chasing the dream of being a stand up comedian, Snooze has one word for them—be original.

“My advice to aspiring Malawian comedians would be – celebrate what makes you, you. Because at the end of the day, no one can beat you at being you. The trick is to play to your strengths and find your unique voice. It’s no easy task, but it will get you a lot further than if you decided to imitate something that wasn’t truly you,” he said.

He harbours plans of performing in Malawi, for the very first time.

“I’d definitely like to kick-start the comedy culture in Malawi. I think there’s room for growth in that department. It would be an honour and a privilege to perform on home soil,” mused the 26-year-old.

The stand up comedian has been in South Africa for almost 20years now. He works in advertising, an industry in which he has received numerous creative awards such as the Loeries, the highest recognition one can receive in advertising excellence in the country.

“This year alone, I took home one bronze Loerie in the poster category, one bronze Loerie in the radio category, one silver Loerie in the radio category and one Gold Loerie in the craft writing category. I also produce TV ads, do voiceovers, design my own clothes, music and acting,” he stated boastfully.

Snooze, who considers himself as more of a story telling comedian, rates Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Louis CK, Bill Burr, Will Ferrell as his international favourites while on the continent, he falls for Kagiso Lediga, Mojak Lehoko, Loyiso Gola, Trevor Gumbi, Trevor Noah and Skhumba.

“My personal favourite is Violet Savala aka mom,” he said.

The win saw him cutting home a trophy and a slot in series three of Comedy Central’s monthly stand-up showcase, Comedy Central Presents, Live at Parker’s, starting early 2016.

Comedy fans will be able to watch highlights from the talent search and the Grand Final in a five-part TV series on Comedy Central DStv channel 122 starting next January. n