Tannah hits K740 000 Unesco jackpot
Budding comedian Tannah’s coronavirus awareness small video has made it to the top five of Unesco’s DontGoViral campaign which involved several creatives from across Africa.
The campaign focused on the role of artists and creatives in fighting the global novel coronavirus (Covid-19) and re-imagining societies and economies in the aftermath of the pandemic. Winners of the competition were announced on Friday during the pan-African Digital Assembly.
Unesco invited creatives from Africa to submit their work on Covid-19 and over 1000 materials from across the continent were received. As part of the recognition, Tannah has received a $1 000 ( about K740 000) from United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).
The comedian teamed up with fellow local stars to produce a small video as part of awareness creation on the pandemic.
The video is set in one of the townships in the country and captures Tannah at a bus stop waiting to catch a minibus. When the bus arrives, he is welcomed by the charming bus conductor who quickly provides him with soap and water to wash his hands before jumping on board.
The peaceful ride is, however, to be disturbed by Tannah’s incessant coughing which draws the attention of all passengers on board. Passengers become increasingly irritated and they order the conductor to drop Tannah and give his money back, fearing he has Covid-19.
In an interview, Tannah said he feels honoured to be recognised at such a top platform which is an encouragement to his continued efforts to offer education and entertainment through comedy.
He said: “It feels great because this means our work is being recognised out there. The video was translated into different languages so that it can reach out to as many people as possible. It feels good to be making a difference in the lives of people as an artist.”
The two minutes and 30 second clip features some of the popular figures in the creative industry such as actress and filmmaker Joyce Mhango-Chavula, fellow comedian Nya Uyu, DJ Maya, rapper Mwanache, Joshua Chimbalu, DJ Goxy, musicians Kelly Kay and Charisma.
In an earlier interview, Mhango-Chavula said as artists they felt duty-bound to help raise awareness about the disease.
Tannah produced the skit with assistance from local videography company HD Creations and spent approximately K300 000 to produce it.
Tannah said: “I will continue to use my art to bring positivity. As artists we have a lot of issues to tackle such as culture, education, gender and even health. We need to spread our message wider to have a greater impact.”
