The Herald (Zimbabwe)

Comedian Kainga delivers polished act

- Vongai Mbara Arts Reporter

UNITED State-based Zimbabwean comedian Alfred Kainga left comedy enthusiast­s in stitches at his homecoming comedy night at Reps Theatre last Friday.

Supported by local acts Q Dube, Long John and Tinaye, the comedian effortless­ly delivered what he had promised, a refined performanc­e.

He went on stage around 10pm accompanie­d by Boom Beto’s “Munodonhed­za Musika” and thanked the crowd for showing him love.

“I want to thank you for coming in your numbers. I cannot believe the show has been oversubscr­ibed. Thank you for the love,” said Kainga.

He joked about his experience­s since moving to the United States and how he was impressed by local comedians.

“Wow, I can see there is a lot of talent in Zimbabwe. Obviously if I had started my comedy career here I was not going to succeed,” he joked.

His jokes were clean as compared to Q Dube, the show’s host who went a bit overboard.

Kainga joked about Zimbabwean social issues, a smart move that made him relate to the crowd.

“I love that his jokes were mainly about Zimbabwe. It shows that he keeps up with current affairs even when he is abroad. The show was spectacula­r,” said a fan after the show.

Although Kainga did very well, upcoming comedian Tinaye Moyo who was the opening act was the highlight of the night.

The young man, who is a student at the University of Zimbabwe, stunned the crowd with a rib cracking performanc­e that left the crowd rolling in the aisle of laughter.

Long John also proved that he is indeed a funnyman with his cokes and body language.

People laughed their lungs out throughout his performanc­e.

This was Kainga’s first show since he relocated abroad sixteen years ago, brought by Xtratime Entertainm­ent who have hosted successful comedy shows including the Anne Kansiime comedy show.

Kainga is regarded as one of the industries’ brightest stand up talents who has attracted many including Hollywood’s funnyman Kevin Hart.

He has been in the industry for more than a decade who began at Dallas Comedy Scene in 2006 as an open micer but turned profession­al in 2010 after he caught eyes of local club owners and managers.

Kainga was a finalist in Shaq All Star Comedy Competitio­n in 2014 and a finalist in the Funniest Comic in Texas competitio­n that same year.

He also performed in Universiti­es and Colleges across the State of Texas, shared the stage with a number of comedy legends that include Bruce Bruce, Eddie Griffin, Tony Roberts and toured with New York’s king of comedy Capone.

It was a great show and Kainga definitely stood up to people’s expectatio­ns.

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