Triccs: The hilarious pantsula comedian
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Saturday February 10, 2024 22:07
In an interview with Arts&Culture, this vernacular comedian said he ventured into stand up comedy in 2015 but decided to do it full-time in 2016.
He added that he was inspired to be a comedian by a friend who also wanted to do comedy.
The two eventually joined forces to pursue comedy and the rest is history. He said he right away fell in love with comedy. Triccs said when he realised that he had hidden talent in him, he never knew that he was possessed. “I have grown a lot in my comedy because I have done a lot of Botswana’s stand up comedies.
I am the only Motswana comedian who had three one-man shows and I have also done the television (TV) show called Johnny Pula and Triccs Show, which was broadcast online. When it comes to international comedians, I have listened to a lot of old comedians from the 70s and the 80s the likes of George Carlin and others,” he said.
Triccs, who mostly jokes about the street lives of ‘Manyora’ in Kasi versus ‘Makhete a disurbubs’, added that those old comedians inspired the way he writes his jokes. He added that locally, he had a business partner Johnny Pula whom he collaborates with on many concepts. He added that he does his jokes in vernacular but could sometimes infuse them with English.
He also pointed out that the public had also welcomed him with warm hands something he credits for his longevity. Even though the reactions might be different, Triccs pointed out that stand up comedy has grown as it now attracts crowds of up to 200 people, which is a positive development.
He said he would like to be remembered for his efforts to build an industry where comedians get rewarded for their hard work. He also said his passion is to see the emergence of more comedians and the industry growing to be profitable. “When you tell people that you are a comedian, nobody takes you seriously because comedy is still considered a new career in Botswana and people still do not understand it. Some people still underrate the power of comedians. It is always because we make people laugh and they see it as not a serious career.
We also face challenges when we make quotations, we simply get dismissed on the basis that our job is to make people laugh,” he pointed out. Triccs also said his biggest achievement to date was founding Gaborone Comedy Club together with his friend, Johnny Pula. He said they have since engaged fellow comedians such as Mbino and Baldwin Balz to be part of the club. Triccs stated they plan to grow stand up comedy in the country and make it a recognisable entertainment business.