Patrick 'Salvador' Idringi: Comedy, Politics, and Meeting Museveni

Why do people sometimes trust comedians more than politicians? 

In this episode of The Long Form, Ugandan comedian Patrick “Salvador” Idringi joins us in Kigali for a wide-ranging conversation about comedy, politics, social media, and public criticism in East Africa. Salvador reflects on the pressures of making audiences laugh while navigating political debates, online controversy, and the expectations placed on public figures. 

This conversation explores the intersection of comedy, media, culture, and politics in Africa — and why humor often reveals truths society struggles to say out loud.

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Produced by LF Media 

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:42

A comedian walks onto a stage and makes people laugh. But in doing so, they often say things that ordinary citizens cannot say openly. They expose hypocrisy, they mock power, they turn everyday frustrations into something people can laugh about. My guest today is Patrick Salvador Idringi. Patrick is one of Uganda's most recognizable comedians and a performer who has helped shape modern comedy in East Africa. Today, we're talking about comedy, pressure, criticism, politics, and the strange responsibility of making people laugh in societies where human power often collide. This conversation is brought to you by Akagera Medicines, a biotech company that is majority owned by the Ronan people. Akagera Medicines is not only committed to expanding access to healthcare, but also supporting conversations that inform, educate, and empower. Learn more about Akagera Medicines by scanning the QR code on your screen or by visiting their website at Akagera Medicines.com. Hey everyone, I just want to take a moment to thank all of you who've been a part of the Longform Journey. Every view, comment, and subscription has helped us grow and get to where we are today. But here's the thing about 72% of the people who actually watch this podcast haven't subscribed yet. We want to keep bringing you even bigger conversations with even bigger guests, including, let's say, even the president of this country. But this milestone starts with you. Subscribing is free, but it makes a huge difference. It shows our guests that what we're building here matters and that it's worth their time appearing on my platform. So please help us and hit that subscribe button, and we'll promise to keep delivering powerful, meaningful conversations. Thank you so much. Now let's get into the episode. Patrick.

SPEAKER_03 2:40

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_02 2:41

Welcome to the Longform Podcast.

SPEAKER_03 2:43

It's it's a pleasure. I've watched a couple of episodes and I'm like, do can I qualify to sit on that? Well, here's the thing. That's the thing.

SPEAKER_02 2:50

It's it's for me, this is not about someone's CV. It's about what do you have to say? And and what what you have to say, is it important? Oh, yeah. Or do people actually want to hear what they have to say? Yes. Obviously, in your case, your social media numbers show that people are interested in who you are and what you have to say. Okay. So much so that sometimes it almost seems like people want to uh take you outside and definitely. Oh, there are quite so many. And beat you up a bit.

SPEAKER_03 3:28

There are quite so many.

SPEAKER_02 3:29

There's something that I realize. Uh the the name that you use is actually not Patrick, it's Salvador or Salvador.

SPEAKER_03 3:36

Salvador. Where did that come from? It came from uh one of my shows. When we were just starting in the early days the early days of our of my comedy career, there was a telenova called Second Chance. And in it there was a character, the lead character, the lead male character. Good-looking guy, super, super good looking. Yeah. So I was using my real names on stage. Hey, Patrick Idringi, Patrick Idringi, but so many people were mispronouncing the Idringi. So I was like, okay, you know, and what would they call you? They would it Idiringi, Idringi. So it was not, it was not rhyming well. But I was not looking to get a stage name. Because by then there was a guy who was already associated with the name Salvador. There was an artist called GNL Zamba. So in one of his raps, he said, Osobala tio kuleka, osobalo gendatya nekapere, no lekao Salvador. So that they they gave him the title of Salvador, but I popularized it. So I made a joke one day and I said, Guys, make money. Because if you make money, people start comparing you to successful people. Like me. One time I was from the supermarket, and as I was working, some girl saw me with my grocery, and she was like, Oh my god, Salvador. So by then, Salvador was a very popular name because of that Telenova. So everyone said that no, you can't look like Salvador, because this guy is very, very good looking. And now look at me. Even you've laughed. So that is where, that is where. So every time I came on stage and said, My name is people would shout Salvador. They did know that in they were being sarcastic by calling me Salvador, but they didn't know the name was going to stick. So I also adopted it and I said, you know what? Let me call myself Salvador. So I owned it from that time, and the name caught on.

SPEAKER_02 5:31

It's it's so so let's let's go back. When did you start comedy? Listen, I know just how annoying it is when, just in the middle of a really interesting conversation on YouTube, an ad appears. That frustration is why we've created the long form Patreon. For just$4 a month, you can enjoy ad-free listening, early access to conversations a full day before they're publicly released, and you're directly supporting the work that we do here. Every episode takes time, research, and sometimes plane tickets. We don't do it for money, we do it because we genuinely believe in sharing stories and conversations that matter. If you want to be part of that journey, you can join the long form Patreon by scanning the QR code that you can see right now on the screen or using the link in the description. And if membership is too much of an investment, you can still support us by making a one-time donation via our MTN Momo using the code registered under LF Media 95462. Thank you so much for believing in what we do.

SPEAKER_03 6:50

I started competing through a competition. I knew I used to be funny. My sisters used to tell me, hey, you're funny, you're funny, you're funny, you're funny. So one time I went and attended a comedy outfit called, by then it was called Theater Factory. Now they call themselves Fun Factory. They had segments of stand-up comedy. And I knew I was funny because I was funny in school, I was fun in the community. My friends would tell me I'm funny. I was the storyteller of the community. So I tried to join that outfit, but they, you know, they they went to school together. They were a community. They went to school together, they knew themselves from way back. So adding a foreigner into their mix was going to be a problem. They didn't even give me an audition. They just tossed me around. So I gave up. Unfortunately, multi-choice decided to create a competition. It started in Zambia with stand-up Zambia. So it came to. And I was following it keenly. So when I heard that it was coming to Uganda, I was skeptical because by then, by the way I'm a professional engineer. I went to school to study engineering, telecommunic engineering. So by then I was a fixed-line switch engineer at MTN. I was responsible. I was driving a nice car. I was earning some good money. And now this competition came at that time. So I was skeptical about it by my sisters, kept on insisting. You never know, you can win that money. By then the top price was$10,000. I mean, that's a lot of money. That was a lot of money by then. So my sisters pushed me. And I just said, you know what? Let me just audition. So I lied at my work that I was going to because our office was different from where the head office was. So I told them I'm going to the head office to do accountability for our travels. And the the the the the theater was very close to the head office. So I drove, went, did the auditions. But when I entered, I almost changed my mind. Why is that? I found clowns. Like actual clowns. Clowns who had come to audition because they were looking for the funniest person. So the the first initial audition had over 1,000 people. I remember my number was 1,024. 1024. That was my number. So when I reached there, I looked at myself. I said, Salvador, you're an engineer. What are you doing amongst these clowns? Respect yourself. I almost gave up, but something told me, stay, you never know. So it reached my turn because I arrived at midday. I auditioned at 8 p.m. So eight hours I was there waiting for my mail. Hungry and thirsty. Hungry, thirsty, and among clowns. So I entered, did my audition, went through. They called us for the second audition, went through, called us for the third audition, went through, then went for the finals.

SPEAKER_02 9:40

And all of it, obviously, multi-choice, it's a TV. Yes. So is this on TV at this point?

SPEAKER_03 9:46

So the the the before the knockout stage, the knockout stages, yes, were on TV. Every episode was on TV, but they would pre-record. So it's only until we reached, I think, the top four that now we started doing live shows.

SPEAKER_02 10:01

Did you not understand that your bosses at work would realize that so he should be at work right now doing telecom engineer stuff? Why is he on my screen making us laugh?

SPEAKER_03 10:15

I don't know whether it was a blessing, but it propelled my bosses to even love me more. Because every time they introduced me, they would say he is an engineer at MTN, and that is free airplay. What year was this? This is 2009. 2009. So I go through up to the top four, top three, top two. And then a Westerner one. He won. Was he funnier than you? Oh, boy, he was very funny. He had he had been in the game six years prior. He had been in the game six years prior. But that's not the excuse on why he won. He was really funny at that moment. He was he was the top dog of startup comedy in Uganda. He's the guy I look up to, even up to today. What's his name? Kenneth Kimuli, aka Pablo. Yeah. I remember him. Yes, Pablo. He's the only one to come. And I came second. And from that moment, I think I felt this is where my life is supposed to be. How much did you make? I was number two, I got$5,000. Which wasn't bad at the time. I mean, it's not bad even now. The winner got 10, the second got five, and this the other one got two. Number three.

SPEAKER_02 11:25

Do you remember? So what type of because there are different types of comedy, right? There is again, some can be clowns, some are more observational comedy. Obviously, your style has probably changed. Yeah. As you've kind of gotten into the quote unquote game.

SPEAKER_06 11:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:45

But this is your very first time doing comedy in front of that kind of audience. Yeah. What was the your what was your type of comedy then? Here's the question: what are your secrets worth? And how far will you go to protect them? Every day, tens of thousands of hacked credentials for emails, social media, and other services are bought and sold on the dark web, all without victims suspecting a thing. If you're like me, and desire some peace of mind, Threat Informant is for you. Built by Shill Tech Hub, a cybersecurity company, Threat Informant is a dark web monitoring online solution that allows you to search the deep web for hidden markets, detect your leaked data, and react before any damage is done. And here is the best part it's available for government agencies, businesses, and individuals like myself. It's simple. If your data is out there, Threat Informant will let you know. So take control of your digital safety today and scan the QR code that you can see on your screen or click the link in the description to sign yourself and your entire organization up. You cannot protect yourself if you don't know you're under threat. Get threat informant today.

SPEAKER_03 13:10

So I like using my own my experiences, what I've gone through to bring out the laughter. The twists and the mixes and the twists are in the storytelling. Like I like promoting my village called Umbokolo. So I share the funny things that happen in my village. And the funny thing is so many people can relate to some of those things that I'm talking about. But mine, I give them a unique angle to yours, to the extent of you telling yourself, eh, I thought I was having it bad. But this guy? So I am more of a storyteller and I love observational comedy. That's why I like coming to a place earlier, settling down, moving around, trying to see how I can get fun out of certain situations.

SPEAKER_02 13:59

How do you try to thread the needle of, say, talking about the village without making them the butt of the joke?

SPEAKER_03 14:09

It's quite easy because you see, you don't insult them, you share facts that they know are facts, you just exaggerate them. You add spice, you know it's the fact, even them themselves know that it's a fact. Like when I say my people, when it comes to question tags, they have a problem with replying question tags. What do you mean? In class, one time the teacher came and came came and told the the students add question tags to the following statements. Mary is naked. The question tag is supposed to be, isn't he? But they asked someone from Mombokolo, Mary is naked, add a question tag. He replied, Where is he? So they know that it is true, but you you add the punch. You understand? Because you you now look for the for where the joke is gonna come from. Yeah, like when a guy comes to class and you're like, Oh, you're smart, and he says, Ay, you know it's wrong, but now you say, aye, it's not that funny. So let me look for other examples of question tags and I add it to them and I make them look like they all came from. So that is how the process comes about.

SPEAKER_02 15:27

You know, there's something, something, there's something special about comedians, right? Is that very often they have a place in society that it's they're almost like journalists, right? So when you know how they they back in the day they used to say, you know, journalism is the fourth estate. Yeah, you know, you have the executive, legislature, judiciary, and the fourth estate, journalism. I would even maybe add comedians on that.

SPEAKER_04 15:54

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02 15:54

Yes, because they they there's something that there's a certain respect and an honor given to comedians. And and you proof. You came in today with one of your colleagues and you said, you know, this he impersonates the president. The president, yes. There are not very few, there, there are not very many people who would be able to pull that off. Yeah. If you are not a comedian. If you're not a comedian, true. It's almost like the political elite or the political powers that be have said comedians have a certain role. And what they do, allow them to do what they do. Make people laugh. Yeah. Make it okay if even if they laugh at us. Yeah. Why do you why is it that sometimes it seems that societies trust comedians more than politicians? Why do you think that is the case?

SPEAKER_03 16:50

Because when it comes to comedians, we have no hidden intention. We say it as it is. We say it as it is. A politician will tell you something, expecting something in return. You understand what I'm saying? We have no hidden intentions. I'll come and I tell you a joke because I feel like I want to let it off my chest, but I also want to get a reaction from you of laughter. A politician will tell you something, expecting, okay, if I told this person this thing, will they be able to get me back into power whenever I need them? And unfortunately, for us, we do not share promises. We tell the story of how it is. The politician will come and say, You see, if you do this, if you do that, if you do this. Then I come and tell them they said they will do this, but did they do it? They did not. Why? Because A B C D. So we are there to paint the picture for people to understand, but in a subtle way. You don't get angry, but you understand, however painful it is.

SPEAKER_02 18:06

Talking about pain, you know, when you search your name, yeah, especially on on Twitter, yeah, or X, as they call it now, you're very often at the center of political debates. Yeah. Why is it that it seems to me as if comedians get an extra dose of anger from people when they start commenting about uh politics? You get more ire out of people than say someone else. Yeah. Talking about the very same thing. Why why is that so?

SPEAKER_03 18:48

Comedians are fond of telling the truth. We are fond of telling the truth in a very funny way, in a very subtle way, in a way that you will try to get angry at it, but it won't be, it's somehow not possible. Like, for example, I tweeted just a couple of days ago about the Nachivobo channel that uh Dr. Hamchi Gundu created. There was a lot of heat when he was creating it in the beginning. What was the heat about for those? The flooding. For the people who do not know, we have a channel through a very busy area called Nachivobo. And that channel has been responsible for so many floods. But it looks very ugly for it to pass into that area, that part of town. So Dr. Hamis came up with an idea and he shared and said, I can make this channel better. But we are wasting all this space, it looks ugly. I can beautify it, add moles on top, but have access for the water to lead to its destination. Ah, they started fighting him. Oh, this man wants to steal the land. La la la la la. The fights happened with the old mayor who was kicked out. Then when he saw the war with the city authorities taking long, he went to the president himself and he got a directive to start construction. So nobody could stop him. But when he was starting the construction, you know, there's so many something bad can has to happen for something good to happen. When he started the construction, ah, because they were blocking some channels and everything, people's buildings flooded whenever it rained. Oh, the outrow, outroar, the uproar was too much. So a few weeks later, fast forward, it's still raining. Cats and dogs in Kampala, and there are no floods. And the channel is doing what's supposed to be done. And the buildings, the shops that he created, the beautiful shops that he created around the channel, actually, some of them were booked before they were built. You understand? So I tweeted and I said, I think we uh, Doctor, we we deserve to give him an apology for rushing into conclusions before he finished the project. Because it's the actual truth. We rushed to judge a man when he's still on the foundation. We didn't wait for the house to be complete. You see, for you cannot tell from the foundation how the house is going to look like unless you know the design. So we've judged him from the foundation. Look, that brick is not supposed to be there. You have put too much cement here. You have done this because we feel you are experts. But he knew what he was doing. He ignored the comments. The channel is now up. And we are all saying, wow. And the critics are quiet because they don't want to expose themselves. They don't want to swallow the chill pill, to humble themselves and say, ah, I was wrong. I rushed into conclusions. No one wants to say no. Nobody ever wants to take accountability. So when I come out and I talk about it and I tell you, listen, I think you have to come out and apologize to this man for rushing him, for trying to rush him into doing something he was not supposed to be doing, to do something your way. So I got I still got a hit. Oh, but still, people lost their property. They have still flooded. Yeah, but is it flooding now? No. Are they losing their property now? No. Are they happier now? Yes. So tell the truth. When you tell the truth, the truth is painful sometimes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:45

You know, some people see you as very friendly to the Ugandan government, to the powers that be, to the yellow team.

SPEAKER_06 22:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:59

Do you think that comedians can risk losing credibility when audiences some feel that they are somewhat politically aligned? Yeah. Hey, if you're tired of working hard but never getting ahead financially, you need to start listening to the Money Blueprint Podcast hosted by Isaac Mousi. The Money Blueprint Podcast isn't a get-rich quick show. Isaac Nusi, an expert in financial literacy with over 15 years of experience, shares practical tools that help you build discipline, make better decisions, and create real wealth. Out every Monday, the Money Blueprint Podcast with Isaac Nussi is on YouTube and all major audio platforms.

SPEAKER_00 23:48

This podcast is brought to you by LF Media, home of great African podcasts.

SPEAKER_03 23:55

Yeah, totally, totally. You see, it also depends on how you do it. Everybody knows I have respect for the president of our country. That one is no secret. I have come out publicly to show it, and this happened over a certain period of time because I was anti him. Everything, every cell in my body was anti-president Museveni. Why? Because I experienced some things in my childhood that made me believe that he was responsible for. I lost my brother in 2001 and he was shot at the university. 2001.

SPEAKER_06 24:38

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 24:39

I was in S almost getting to S4. What had happened? It was during campaign season. 2001 was during the campaign season. And you know this running tiki taka of uh students. By then it was the students and the police. And there was a tikitaka running around and everything. And he was one of the mobilizers for FDC. That's the party of uh Chizabe J. Dr. Chizabe CJ. So one night he comes home, he sees my brother, he's from out. My brother says, Hey, let me give you some transport for you to go back to campus. So on his way back, he was about to reach his domain, his hall, which was Lumumba. He was gunned down by a rubber bullet. And who else has access to rubber bullets? Obviously, the police. Exactly. So we grew up with this anger, this disappointment, this frustration of, and everything was being blamed around President Museveni. President Museveni. Oh, President Museveni. So in 2019, this is so many years later. I he read my story about how I transitioned from an engineer to a comedian and everything. And I was invited to State House.

SPEAKER_02 25:59

Really?

SPEAKER_03 26:00

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 26:00

I was invited to State. Wait, so let's go slowly, slowly. You know, I it's you know, people. Yeah, there's so much talk about.

SPEAKER_03 26:09

So let's go.

SPEAKER_02 26:11

Okay. First of all, so you were invited to State House. Yeah. How do you get how do you how does someone get an invitation to State House? Is it a phone call? Is it a letter? Is it an email? Is it a text message?

SPEAKER_03 26:24

So it depends. You could have a handler who makes your phone call. In my case, I had a handler. Someone who goes and meets him and says, Muse, I have a few people I want to introduce you to. Then he says, Bring them. Who was the handler? By then it was uh Mr. our minister, our minister of state for youth, Honorable Balam. He took four of us to go and meet the president. So I asked myself, how? He said, ah, I told him, President, you are an engineer. He had even the newspaper, he read about your story, and he was very interested. So he said we include you on the list of the people he wants to see.

SPEAKER_02 27:06

So I went, I met him. That's interesting. I mean, on one side, yeah, your experience with state power led by Museveni was not necessarily positive, right? You've lost your brother who you loved, obviously. And then on the other side, you you get this invitation. Yeah. Some people would have been so bitter that they would have said, No way, yeah. Am I going to meet the person who killed my brother? Yeah. Or at least is responsible for it. Yes. Why did you not think that way?

SPEAKER_03 27:48

So there's nothing as hard as fighting someone who has power. Whether in courts, whether it's very hard.

SPEAKER_06 28:00

We tried to get justice in the courts of law.

SPEAKER_03 28:09

We tried. We reached a point where we were almost there.

SPEAKER_06 28:16

And somehow the file just disappeared. So I asked myself, can I keep on carrying this anger? Because if you can't beat them, between them.

SPEAKER_03 28:33

And find a way in with in between. Because now you will have access to information. Back then we didn't have any access. We were only relying on our lawyer. And what the judge says. At least now, when I'm inside and I try to find out, I'm gonna have people I can ask, and they'll give me that utter respect and utter response, and eventually I'll get what I want. So when I met the man, he changed my mindset a little bit. How? Listen, they say Edges Wiz Dome. He didn't lie. That man is very knowledgeable, he's very smart. I think he's the smartest man in Uganda, President Musevin. And I'm not saying this because, you know, he has seen me a couple of times and everything. That man is very, very smart. To the extent that when they invited me, I knew my life was going to be changed forever. Because everybody says when you meet the president, he gives you an envelope. The envelope has a couple of million dollars in them. You basically your life changes. So I had a lot of expectations. But when we sat and we talked, actually, we didn't talk, he talked. I listened. And from what I picked, I respected that man. I don't know what happened. I respected this is how much I respected him that he asked me, you know, he always asks you at the end of the conversation, what can I do for you? And that is where now you throw in, arms there, I have no house, I have no car, I'm suffering. My children are in local schools, I won't take them to international schools. That's what so many people ask for. By then I was going to celebrate 10 years of Salvador, of being a comedian. And I had booked Cololo Airstrip, which is ideally a military base. So for you to get clearance, it has to come from the Ministry of Defense. But it's quite expensive for a civilian to order to book Cololo Airstrip because it's so I told him, Oze, me, I don't have much to ask. I'm only requesting that you grant me access to Cololo Airstrip for me to do my show and celebrate my 10 years. He said, Done.

SPEAKER_06 30:57

And I walked out. Without getting a single coin.

SPEAKER_02 31:03

I walked out. What does it how does it feel to be in presidential presence? You know, sometimes I've I've I I I traveled once to the UK and I was lucky fortunate enough to be around very wealthy people. Yes. I'll be honest with you, the cupets, you step on a carpet, and the cup, you your foot sinks into the and the air smells of wealth. You know, they you don't actually so I'm I'm just curious. Yeah, you know, you've obviously never been around uh the the president at that at that time. Yeah, you walk in, I mean I'm imagining some big hall of sorts.

SPEAKER_03 31:50

Is uh how does it feel? Honestly, you will try, not you you can't understand it in full, but when you are in the presence of the president, you will try to understand what power is. What is power to you? That's the answer I'm saying. You will try to understand because up to today, you see, you walk in there, and in your head, you start giving yourself conditions, you start giving yourself do's and don'ts. How you should walk, how you should move, how you should even laugh, how you should smile. It's you giving yourself these conditions. Nobody has told you what to do because of how orderly everything is. Where you're supposed to walk from, where you're supposed to sit, how you're not supposed to move around suddenly. You just experience what you think you you believe is power. Have you ever experienced power before? Let me tell you, I've experienced power before. I was put in charge. I was in charge of drinks and food at a wedding. I was the one to decide who gets a drink, who doesn't get a drink. Bro, I felt powerful. Like somebody would come and say, I did sit and they sit. Imagine, as a chairman of the drinks and foods committee, I felt that powerful. How do you think the president feels and the subjects he has? Because imagine I told that guy who wants a beer, sit and he sat. And I told him, if you move from there, you will not get a drink. But this is a person where you precondition yourself, you don't get instructions, you precondition yourselves. You say, I'm not going to move in a certain way, I will not leave my shirt untacked. Because you feel the presence of power and order and wisdom, organization, and wisdom.

SPEAKER_02 33:58

Do you remember what he told you?

SPEAKER_03 34:00

Yeah, but I don't think I can share it. It was very sensitive. It made me understand how passionate this man is about the country. Yes. It's a very sensitive uh subject.

SPEAKER_02 34:18

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SPEAKER_00 34:57

This podcast is brought to you by LF Media, home of great African podcasts.

SPEAKER_03 35:04

No, not yet. I didn't want to make it about him. My moment is going to come. When now I know we are both comfortable to have this conversation. Right now we are not comfortable to have this conversation because, first of all, you'll never meet him alone. Second of all, we have not reached that point. Because now I know the case is long gone. All I'm gonna ask for is justice. I am sure even the suspects are no longer alive. They might be. This one I can tell you for a fact. They may not be alive. But I just want to get closure. Unfortunately, the one person who could have gotten the best closure was my late dad. Yes. But he passed on before getting that justice. And that is one of the pains that I'll never ever heal from.

SPEAKER_06 35:59

My father not getting closure.

SPEAKER_03 36:03

That is the biggest, biggest pain that I will always carry with myself until I die. Because I thought when I get in, it would be easier for me to try and exactly push whoever is necessary to revive the case when my dad is still alive and everything. But unfortunately, cancer came and did its thing. I'm so sorry. So do I still have the push, the motivation to find out why? My push was my dad. Because by the time my brother died, I had not yet fully understood the impact of death. I was a young man in secondary school. I knew death is bad because it's hard. You cry a bit, but I not realized the void it leaves, especially for a parent.

SPEAKER_02 37:00

Do you think that your dad is died passed away when he was proud of you?

SPEAKER_03 37:05

Yeah, my dad, I believe so. I want to believe so because he kept on telling me. My dad was one of my biggest fans. He thought your jokes were funny. You know, at first he didn't understand what I was doing. He would be like, ah, but Patrick, yesterday I saw you on TV making a speech, but people were laughing. So I took me time to explain to him what comedy was. Did he ever find you funny? Many times. Especially when he now came to understand that I stand, I crack jokes, and people laugh. So when he understood that comedy is actually a profession, he started taking it seriously.

SPEAKER_02 37:48

But here's my my question is Did he beyond the performance? Yes, did he actually find you funny?

SPEAKER_03 37:59

Not that he has ever told me, and not that there will ever be a moment that I would see that he sees me as funny, but we had family moments where we shared stories and would laugh off each other. So I cannot pinpoint and say there are times he saw me and he's pleased.

SPEAKER_02 38:18

But he would tell his friends. Yes. I mean, that's that's the thing with most African parents. He would tell his friends, but he'll never tell you. Exactly. They'll they'll never say, My son did well at school. He'll never say to you. He'll talk with his siblings.

SPEAKER_03 38:33

So his colleagues who used to come to his shop, you know, to drink and everything, when they when they would leave, they go back to them, they call me and say, Ah, your dad, your dad, your dad was telling us a joke you did. So that is that is how I would get the information. But directly, he didn't tell me.

SPEAKER_02 39:00

I wouldn't say power, but access to power. Yes. You know, when you're just uh one phone call away from the fountain of knowledge, yeah. Yeah, you're just one minister balam away from talking to the to the old man, that comes with a bit of responsibility as well. And and and here's the question to you do you feel as a comedian that now that you are where you are, you can crack the same jokes that you used to crack? Or are there certain lines now that old Salvador could have crossed? The new one, it would be bad for your career.

SPEAKER_03 39:49

That is 100% true. There are some things I can't talk about that I used to talk about passionately. I had jokes that I would do, like whenever I would perform next to the state house, I would start by making a disclaimer. I'm like, guys, this is a joke. I know it's against the government, but it's a joke. You're supposed to make you people laugh. So tomorrow, if you don't hear from me, just know they have taken me. So I start it off like that. But at this point, I am going to be more careful on how I tell my jokes because now I've balanced life on both sides, and I know the truth on both sides. Not that the government is 100%, no at all, not even close, and not that the people are always right. There are some times we overwant people to want what we want. I don't know if you get me. We overwant people to want what we want, and when they don't want what we want, they become our enemies. If you are not with us, you are against us. If I don't, if you don't agree with me, you are my enemy. Nobody will sit down and say, maybe I'm wrong. In my opinion, he's wrong. That's why he's not seeing it the way I'm seeing it. Why can't we sit down and we have consensus?

SPEAKER_02 41:27

Don't you worry that the old you, if the old you could come and see the one that's sitting right here in front of me, yeah, wouldn't he call your wouldn't he call the the the one that's sitting right here a sellout?

SPEAKER_03 41:47

I don't think so. Because I've been consistent from the beginning. I speak my mind. I speak my mind, good or bad. I speak my mind, whether it affects the government, whether it affects the people. I have been consistent with that. The only reason now I may look like I am pro-government is because of the knowledge I've been able to gather over the years. That has made me appreciate certain things about governments. The experience I have gotten from my travels, especially across Africa, that has made me come to realize and say, we are not that badly off. So it's with time that I have gathered knowledge, that I've gathered experience to appreciate even the smallest of things that the government does. So the old me went through the the growing up. So with time, I kept on seeing things. I appreciate them, I talk about them, then I see something different from what I'm appreciating. Then I go back to the drawing board and I try to consolidate. Because you can never stay in the same position forever. You evolve. Sometimes you will evolve to what people expect, sometimes you will evolve to what people don't expect. But at the end of the day, you as a person, when you sit down, have you evolved to what you want to become? Because right now I believe I am much wiser than I was 10 years ago. There are some decisions I can make, and I sit down and I'm like, yo, the salvador of 10 years, you would not have made this decision.

SPEAKER_02 43:34

You're a father of three. Yes. And we were talking before we started about how children change your life and change the way you see and navigate your reality. Do you think that as you're as you've become a dad, as you become a husband, the jokes have been become less and less risky?

SPEAKER_03 44:00

Definitely. You see, even when I'm going, when I'm going to accept an event, the gig, the first people in my mind are my family, my kids. I'm like, if I ask for two thousand dollars, my son needs this. My son, like, I plan everything around my children. That means even whatever I say when I'm on stage has to protect them. I don't have to say something that is going to make me fear for their lives, for their safety. I will give you a story. I don't know if I can say it, but one of the reasons that made me start evolving. I cracked a joke. Yes. About uh the first lady of Uganda. Yes. It was very funny. The beauty is I did it in front of corporate CEOs, MDs, so no one was recording because these are corporate people. And they laughed. This was a big joke, huge joke. They laughed. So after the joke, I am excited. This is how many years ago? A couple of years ago. A couple of years ago. Many, many years ago. When I was starting, you see, the that's the evolution I'm talking about. Because you learn uh with experience. So I'm driving back, I'm excited. I have just made some money. Made some money with CEOs, and I'm sure some of them are going to call me tomorrow. And as I'm driving back home, uh, this is from uh Bokoto, and I'm going to a place called Chaliwajala, Namogongo side. So as I'm driving back home, I get a private call. An unknown number. And I'm like, yo, okay, hello. Actually, I put the speech free. So I'm like, hello. Salvador, you are a good man. You're a very funny man. We talk, we talk, we talk, we talk, and this guy is like, hey, you know, for us, we are here. Sometimes we suffer, but because we watch your videos, you guys give us life. Because sometimes you are there and then a bomb explodes, then what? But because we watch your videos, we are alive. I'm like, ah, my brother, I am I'm glad to be of service. I don't know this person. And the man says, So you're going home? I said, Yeah, I'm going home. I've just finished performing. He said, Hey, this performance at Kabira. So when he said that, I knew he was one of the guests. No way, still coming. So he's like, okay, nice, nice, nice. So you still you're still you still stay in Chaliwajala? I said, Okay. I said, Yeah, yeah, yeah, I stay in Chaliwajala. Lugovroad, plot uh four. I said, Yeah, that's right. You're still in that flat, the top one. Oh, why you shifting? You know, you've been celebrities, you like shifting, shifting. I said, I'm still uh you see, he was torturing me psychologically. Then he's like, hey, so your children still go to Green Hill. Ah. When he mentioned my children, I just said, First, hold on. I packed the car. I said, Who is this? He said, Ah, don't worry, don't worry, don't worry. Your children, you know, your children, I think they go with the school in my children. Your your daughter is in uh P3, your son is in baby class. I started shaking like this. This man had all my information. I don't know who he is. I sat down, I said, sir, who are you? He said, Ah, don't worry, don't worry. But now you see you people, you make us laugh. And I know there are sometimes you are tempted to do jokes which are not nice. But that joke you just did there, you are my guy.

SPEAKER_06 47:49

Please don't do it again.

SPEAKER_03 47:54

After taking me through that circle. So you expect me to still stay the same Salvador 10 years ago, after I've experienced this, something has to change. You become wiser. You can either decide, ah, me, I don't fear danger. You continue, or you are like, for the sake of my children, I don't ever want to hear them in any conversation. That has something to do with something I've done to someone.

SPEAKER_06 48:22

Never.

SPEAKER_02 48:25

You know, uh a few years ago, if I was I was I was preparing for this conversation, and so so I Googled you. I knew you, but I wanted to be to be well researched. And there was a joke that you cracked about Rwanda, about 2019 or so. 2018. 2018. And there was a lot of pushback uh because obviously the topic, the the subject of the joke. Yes. I don't really want to talk about that joke per se. Yeah. Uh if you want, you can. Yeah. But I I wanted to talk about the the lines that as East African comedians, you can or cannot cross. Because obviously it's a community, true, right? So you there's the the authors here, there's the Salvadors in Uganda, there are your counterparts in in Kenya.

SPEAKER_06 49:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 49:24

I'm sure you all sit down and have drinks. Yeah. You know, you have shows together. Yeah. And I think at some point you guys say, hey, so this is what we should not, this does not work for true. Having this kind of topic, this kind of conversation is not good for business in our region. Yeah. What are those topics that as East African comedians, you've all kind of implicitly agreed. This is not funny. All right. Let's not touch this. And which are the ones that you've all agreed, these might be risky, but we can still joke about this.

SPEAKER_03 50:11

You know, they say experience is the best teacher. I will I'll I'll go back to share some light before I can elaborate on the topics that we can't cross. You see, that joke I did, it was not a joke about Rwanda, per se. I was comparing airlines, different airlines from different countries. The unfortunate bit, when I was describing Rwanda Air, I added the word. Yeah? The very sensitive word. That was by then I did not understand the magnitude and impact of what I had just done. Because for me, I said, ah, I did jokes, I did uh Ethiopia, I did South Africa Airlines, I did Kenya Airways, because I wanted I wanted to explain what should be done for Uganda Airlines. So I compared it with different airlines so that I would end the punchline with the Uganda Airlines. And I want to thank uh, I think it's called Frank. He was in Big Brother. Was it called Frank? Ah, Frank Joe. Yeah. I went to school with him. Yeah, so he he is the one who cut out, it was about five seconds of the whole joke. He cut out that part when I described Ronda Ayer, and he gave it context.

SPEAKER_04 51:41

He gave it his own version of context.

SPEAKER_03 51:44

For me, I just threw in the words, you understand, just ignorantly. I did not expect, I just threw it in. And he gave it context, and it blew up. And at first I did not understand because I was like, first of all, the joke was not even about you, I was defensive and I was getting hit and I was sending hit back. You you know how my my ex works. Getting hit, sending hit back. Then one guy, I forgot his name, but I want to commend him. The guy came and said, Guys, let's cease fire on Salvador. Maybe he doesn't understand the impact and magnitude of what he just did. What? Of what he just did. If we could all come together and try and make him understand, maybe something will change. This guy, the way he came, his calmness, I said, Oh, okay. Then he broke it down. Remember by then Twitter had 140 characters. So you had to write a tweet, then you add another tweet. So this guy went on to explain to me in about 50 tweets. And I read each and every one of them.

SPEAKER_06 53:03

If you can get emotional on a tweet, imagine how emotional you'll get when you go to this the site. I looked at this tweet and I'm like, Salvador, what have you just done?

SPEAKER_03 53:23

And you are defending yourself. So I try to apologize on social media, but it was not gonna make sense. So I said, I need to calm down myself, come back to Kigali and apologize to wherever I need to apologize. Even if it means me going on any street and making noise, apology, going to TV stations and apologize, I will do it. But I need to apologize. But I could not come back in after that, between 2018. 2019 happened. I could not they tried to book me, but they were terminating the bookings, the permissions. Fortunately, COVID came, or unfortunately, so 2020, 2021, 2022, until Atha, Athankousi, wrote trying to get me back because he said he has learned his lesson and everything. So it took some time, but finally they granted him permission to bring me. And the first thing I did before doing my jokes, I had almost 10 minutes of a public apology.

SPEAKER_02 54:35

And and so for the people who don't fully, I think we've been going around something. So it's I think let me try to to to to I won't necessarily repeat the joke, but among the things that you said was the word genocide. Yes. And that was what that's what the joke could have been perfectly fine without that word. Without that word.

SPEAKER_03 54:57

Yes. Just one word, yeah. But the magnitude of that one word killed the whole joke. That is how powerful words can be. And in my ignorance, I thought it was going to be funny.

SPEAKER_02 55:16

And I did not know how many wounds I had. Unearthed. Do you feel that that was the time when you fully understood the power of your voice? Yes.

SPEAKER_03 55:27

I never knew how powerful I was until that moment. I thought I was just telling jokes. Go on stage, do jokes, people laugh, they share them on social media. But after that, because when I came in and I did the apology, the apology trended more than my performance. The apology I made, it was just about between five to ten minutes, trended more than the 40 minutes I had done of comedy where people were laughing and crying. The apology trended in Kigali more than that. So that's when I realized there are so many people who look up to us, who expect us to be their voice of reason, it has to be reasonable. But when we let them down and we do the contrary, we hurt so many people. That is why, for me on a personal note, because we have never sat down as comedians to say, don't go here, don't go here, don't go here, don't go here. But on a personal note, I have experienced, I did a joke about disability. People laughed, but there was one person who did not laugh. Who did not laugh and explain to me why, and that broke my heart. So I put disability on the side. Cultural differences, I'll put them on the side. There are cultural differences that are really funny. Like how some people in Uganda we have tribes that eat rats, others eat bats, others it this. So those ones, but when you go deep into you see, I said I will never do jokes on things which unite many groups of people. Religion, disability for tribes you can because there are very many, many tribes, but there are few religions. So no Mohammed jokes, no religion, religious jokes. No Jesus jokes. That one is out. I will never do disability jokes. I will never do culturally explosive jokes.

SPEAKER_02 57:44

But that seems like you've put a lot of pressure on yourself. Do you not feel like that is much too that's much too responsible? That's too much responsibility.

SPEAKER_03 57:57

I would rather work under pressure than be too comfortable while I'm breaking people's heart. I would rather put myself under pressure to be as creative as I can with a little circle of jokes that I have than expand my basket. And in that expansion, I can be funny while hurting other people. Yep. I would rather stay with the discomfort for myself than be comfortable while hurting people.

SPEAKER_02 58:26

You know, be honest. There's a there's a I have had uh a comedian on the podcast last year. He's called Eve Kimeni. He's Ronda. Yes, yes. And and we spoke about the mental health of comedians. And very often you find that there's I don't know if there's a study, but it's been found that very often many of them are they're the funny guys, but they're dealing with a lot. That if you actually peel back their their brains and open up their heads, there's a lot of pain there. Do you is that is pain, is the comedy you do a result of any pain you feel? And is there a cost to being funny that you pay constantly? Hey, before we dive back into the conversation, are you a business looking to grow your reach, an organization hoping to connect with a youth, or a market leader with a great product you want people to know about? You can advertise right here on the Longform Podcast. Reach out to us on our email, commercial at sendinayombia.com, or on our phone number 0795462739. Let me repeat, on our phone number, 0795 462739. We'd love to help you tell your story. And now back to the conversation.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:18

I think the costs we pay as comedians every day. Because when you walk in a room, the first expectation of people is going to be that you're gonna crack them out. Nobody understands what you're carrying, they do not understand whether you're in pain, all they know is or do they even care? Or do they even care? And it's worse if it is the people closest to you. Your wife, your brothers, your sisters. For the children, you can forgive them because they may not understand exactly what it is. But your wife, when your wife is the number, and most comedians, their biggest, biggest mental health disturbance is their spouses. What do you mean? If your wife does not understand you, doesn't know when you're in pain. And when you're in pain and you tell her, she'll be like, ah, you'll get over it. Just write a new joke, you'll get over it. When they do not understand you, that the smallest things like, babe, are you okay? That question means the world to a comedian. The fact that the comedian is going to sit down and pour out his heart and you listen without interruption means the world to a comedian. Sometimes I will want to talk to someone when I'm going through pain. But I sit down and I look at all the possibilities of people who could have helped me. And I know I have tried them before, and I know they've never helped because, as you're telling them, they are talking back, they've never given you an opportunity to share your heart. So sometimes I go on my status on WhatsApp and I post something, and I get random phone calls from random people, not even my family. And yet they have read these messages. So you get from random people, somebody calls you and says, Are you okay? And you're like, no, I'm going through something. And the person says, Don't worry, talk to me. And then you unleash your heart, you release your burden. And but the the biggest problem with that is you do not know whether that person is going to give that information safe. Before you know it, you may end up on social media. Trending. Trending. Ah, Salvador is going through depression. So it is a risk, especially if you don't have anyone to talk to.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:06

Do you ever go through depression? Oh man, many times. Really? Many many times.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:13

Many, many, many times. Ah, man, many, many times.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:19

There are times I can accept to do a gig for even$500 because I want to run away from home. I want to get a new environment where people don't know me. I go and I sit with a random guy who doesn't know me and I pour out my heart. If to cry, I cry. Then I board the plane back, go back to Uganda, and I'm relieved. I sometimes feel like doing that. And I have done that a couple of times.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:47

What sets you off? Because everyone has a trigger.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:56

I don't know how to say this.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:01

When I feel, and it's a feeling, it's not it's not supposed to be right, but it's a feeling. When I feel that you're not understanding me, however much I try to explain myself. Like for example, I can be accused of something. This one again goes back to the spouse. I can be accused of something, and I go out of all my lengths to try and show you that you are just imagining things, but you are adamant to listening to me, and your word, your thoughts are gospel truth. That frustrates me because I'm like Salvador, you are paid to talk, and you fail to talk your way out of a situation which is not even true. What is the problem? So you also start imagining things. Hey, maybe this woman is tired of me. Maybe this woman just wants to leave me. Maybe this woman is phoned somebody else. So you build another narrative in your head that is going to cause you more pain. And I have nobody to talk to. Before you know it, you're depressed, you feel like the world is against you, your creativity dies. It it's it's a very bad moment to be in. A very dangerous moment to be in. How do you get out of it? My kids, man.

SPEAKER_06 1:05:42

I thank God I have kids. If I didn't have kids, I don't think I would be on this earth.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:51

Your kid comes home and you're all depressed, and you're all there, and my kid comes, and you know, you just mistakenly bought chocolate and you left it. The table. It was meant to be for you, but you forgot because your mind is not at the right moment. You left it on the table. And then your kid finds it. And then your kid comes and tells you that you're the best. You're the best daddy ever. You bought for me chocolate, even then. I didn't ask. And your heart just melts. The burden. And that's when you remind yourself, Baby, I'm not doing this for me. I'm not doing this for my wife. I have kids that I should be doing. And they are appreciative. And they are not going to judge me by reading a text message or a WhatsApp message and thinking something bad is happening. They are just going to look at me and see their dad, see their hero. And before you know it, you're like, madam, you'll come down. You'll come down. I have people who really know my value. Because at the end of the day, you think your wife does not value you.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:55

My kids, man.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:59

My kids. We do everything for them. I just thank God that I have them. Because without them, I don't think I would be here.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:11

Which is very interesting because you are the epitome of success in your field. So very often the assumption is that success equals happiness.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:29

More problems. Like it is more money, more problems. Too much.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:40

It's too high. What are the pressures? Because very often with most people who will be watching this, their pressure is the day-to-day. Can I pay my rent? Can I pay school fees? Will I be able to take care of my sick parent? They're very the most of their problems can be fixed with money. If I only had money, I'll be happy. You are successful.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:12

You have money. My biggest worry is dying before. I see. My kids are successful. That's no money can buy can't pay for that. Because we don't know our time. My kids are still young. No amount of money can buy you time. When your time comes, it has come. So my biggest fear and worry is something that money can't buy. You can collect all the money in the world, but if your time has come, it has come. And for me to live before I see my kids become something. Sometimes I don't sleep because of that thought.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:18

But I guess that's super challenging. Again, this is dad talking to another dad. You know, it's the idea that you know you fundamentally don't have control on that. You know, we we've created a life where we're in control of everything. Everything. But that's that's that thing.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:36

That's that one. I can buy whatever I want, I can buy a new car if I wanted, I can buy a new house if I want, I can pay for this if I wanted, I can do this if I wanted. But there's no one I can talk to, and I say, hey, in 1980, they are in 2080, take me. But now, first give me some time. No, there's nobody.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:00

You know, the way no, for me, the way I kind of because my as I told you, my kids are much younger than yours. And what I try to do, because when I think about this, that if their dad leaves today, yeah, we have a few properties, but that's not really going to be important. And what I try to do is I try to take a lot of videos of me playing with them so that maybe one day they might not remember me, but then if they will see the pictures and they'll say, Dad loved us, you know, and and and we've we found joy in each other. And that's because again, like you said, you you're not you don't know.

unknown 1:10:44

There's nothing.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:45

We can literally leave this recording and and and I think for me, all I say is, you know, I'm not I'm not fundamentally in control, but at least they will grow up knowing that I I valued them. And I think as a parent, that's that's all you really can leave.

unknown 1:11:09

True.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:10

You're right. That's true.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:13

But there, yeah, that the that that pressure that you feel, like pressure.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:17

Any parent anything else you can maneuver, you can find a way out, you know. But that's crazy, man.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:28

You know, let's let's go to funnier times. Yeah. Let's let's lighten the thing. Yeah. You know, you've been successful for such a long time. You know, it's a decade now plus. 15 years. Yeah, decade. And let's go to the the worst instance of a show you've ever had. For every amazing show, yes, there's always the counterbalance. Which one was the what when was it where you bombed the worst of all time? Of course you've bombed many times. Yeah. I've bombed a couple of times. Yes. Which one was listen, even up to today, you wake up in a cold sweat.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:15

Yeah. I will never forget, it was in Lagos. So I was booked to perform on uh a laughter festival for a telecom company called Glow. So they called it Glow Laughter Fest. So when I went there, I did so great in my first show. My name started moving around. So they called me for the second show in Abuja. I went and I killed it. Then they called me for another show. It was in Kalabar. But before we went to Kalabar, we went through another town that had the CEOs and MDs of banks, all the banks in Nigeria. They had a retreat. So Basket Mouth was supposed to perform. He's a well-known guy. So when Basketmouth performed, he said, You people, I have a surprise for you from Uganda. So I came on, performed, and I killed it. So one of the MDs of a bank there called Access Bank was like, I need this guy for our staff end of your party. Pay me good money. Very good money. They fly me in, I go. The good thing I had two events. I had the event for the glow owner and the Access Bank. So I was supposed to be at the Access Bank first, but now my name had spread across Lagos. The Ugandan man, there's a Ugandan man, he's funny. So some of the comedians didn't like that. Because how can a foreigner come and you know in Nigeria they like protecting their own circles. So someone, some of the comedians didn't like that. So what happens is I'm supposed to perform at 2 p.m. When the staff has seated their orderly, they are organized and all that stuff. I call the organizer at 1.30 and he says, ah no, because the venue was not very far. But the process of reaching there made it far because they have highways and everything. But I could see the venue and I could see what was happening. So I call at 1.30 and they tell me, ah, Salvador, your time is not yet. I'm like, guys, I'm supposed to perform earlier. Because on that party, there was DeVido, there was P Square. There was uh what is his name? Aladala Flavor. There was not Pato ranking, Ice Prince.

SPEAKER_06 1:14:48

Yeah?

SPEAKER_03 1:14:49

These are all heavy weights in the music industry. By then P Square was P Square. Showstopper. It reaches five o'clock. I've still not been called. I called the guy and he says, Ah, no, don't worry. In the meantime, performances are going on. So I said, uh, you know what? Let me just go. I get a cab. Takes me about 45 minutes to reach the venue. I could see the venue, but you know, we had to go through to get to the venue. So I get to the venue, and guests is on stage. Peace Square. Remember, staff have been drinking, they are high, they are in a party zone, they're in a party mode, they are dancing. And after P Square performs, people in the mode to dance. Yes. And the MC comes and says, and now take your seats, take your seats, take your seats. This guy I'm bringing all the way from Uganda. Now, this the MD was very excited because he's the one who hired me personally to come and make entertain the staff.

SPEAKER_04 1:16:02

Put your hands together for Patrick Salvador.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:09

So I'm like, okay, you know what? I have this thing of telling them, guys, me, I'm a star. When they call me on stage, people clap, but you do not clap. So I'm going to go back. And when they call me back, you're going to clap. They said, okay. I went back and they reintroduced me. Yeah. I said, this is a tough crowd. So I came on stage, and you know, my jokes are story. I'm a storyteller. So I start going to the story. And now the MD had had the jokes before, and he had called his colleagues, they were sitting next to him, and what a day. That joke is very funny. But were the staff patient? They didn't. They had entered the mood of dancing, and here I was telling stories.

SPEAKER_04 1:16:55

They started booing me.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:00

I was not even in the middle of the joke. They say booing me. So I said, God, what am I going to do? When the booings didn't work, I caught now my focus was the MD and his staff, his people. Giving them their money's worth. They were happy. So I kept performing for them. When the booze refused, they started clapping me off stage. So I said, you know what? Salvador. You've been paid. It's not your fault that they are not getting your jokes. And now. So I said, guys, do you want me to leave? Yeah. I said, but you know, I've been paid.

SPEAKER_04 1:17:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:43

And there's no refund.

SPEAKER_04 1:17:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:45

So you're sure you want me to leave?

SPEAKER_04 1:17:47

Yeah. Walked off stage. My heart was crushed. I went back to my hotel room.

SPEAKER_06 1:17:56

I was crushed.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:59

That show will forever be in my books. As my worst ever. But I've had bad shows before, but they're not to that magnitude.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:15

That's tough. But like you said, you had already gotten paid. Yeah. But I think you don't perform for the for the money. Because obviously, if if if if it was about the money, again, they had flown you in, you're in a hotel. You were okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:32

Yeah. I was okay. You know, it's the money was a lot, a lot of money. By then it was$15,000. For that time, that was a lot of money. It was a lot of money. And I felt so bad that these guys had invested all that money. They flew me business class, making me sleep in a five-star hotel, paying me 15K, taking care of my welfare, and I don't deliver. What does that say about me? I felt so bad. But the good thing, the MD called me the next morning and he started apologizing on behalf of his staff. I said, ah, okay. It was not my fault. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:10

What's what's the what do you think is the biggest lie that audiences have about comedians? We are always happy. Actually, you know, what is interesting because every single comedian that I've had a chance to interact with, they always tell me, yeah, that this is not, we are we are shh we are performing for you, but that's not who I really am.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:38

Yeah. The myth that we are always happy because we make people happy is where we get our biggest judgments, and uh that's where our depression stems from.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:56

You're now, we're having obviously this conversation here at the beautiful Kigali Arena. Yeah. And because you have a performance tomorrow, yes, where we're recording this on a Thursday, you have uh performance on a Friday. Now you've performed in different places. Yeah. Now, I I'd be interested in understanding audiences, yeah. Right? Because I I feel that you perhaps tailor yourself like a chameleon based off of the environment. I might be wrong. When you perform here in Kigali, what surprises you the most about the Kigali audience versus say a Ugandan audience? Kigali audience is very respectful. What do you mean by that?

SPEAKER_06 1:20:49

When you're on stage, they are watching a performer. They are not on their social media, they are on their phone. That's the biggest element of Ugandans. You're on stage, you're performing, and somebody's on TikTok. Scrolling.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:13

And they listen. You see, when you're gonna when you're expressing a joke in in Kigali, and they know there is a punchline ahead, they will keep quiet, listen to the joke, and wait for the punchline and laugh. That's how it's supposed to be. Some people in Uganda know the joke, they anticipate it. They anticipate the punchline. So you are explaining here, and out of the blue, yeah, someone's saying, Ha! Now you're like, have I hit the punchline? Have I written the joke? You get confused, but it's only that they and they write the joke in their minds for themselves. That must be frustrating, very frustrating. I hardly perform in Uganda. I hardly perform. I only do perform on the shows I organize myself. Because that one attracts my audience that understands me. But to go on other people's platforms, I rarely do that. There are a few platforms that I will say yes to without hesitation. Anyone who puts a show at the National Theater, that is the audience that was designed and meant for comedy.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:30

You know, when you're talking about someone on their social media, on their TikTok scrolling, do you feel as if they're being disrespectful to you? Yes.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:44

That is how I feel. It may not be the truth, it may not be right, it may not be a fact, but that is how I feel. Because I'm laboring to get some joy out of you, but you are looking for joy elsewhere.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:59

But someone would argue and say, I've already paid my money. Yes, so why can't I do what I want?

SPEAKER_03 1:23:06

You see, it's like paying to come to the BK Arena to watch a basketball game and you go to the bar and you sit at the bar the whole day. Yes, it's your right to do whatever you want with your money. But does it make sense? You've paid a ticket to the Amohoro Stadium to go and watch football. Okay, there's a football game, and you spend your time in the toilet just chilling because the toilets are nice. Yes, it's your money, but what's the purpose? You've paid for a service and you're not using it. You're using the extra services that are around that service. Does it make any sense?

SPEAKER_02 1:23:49

Do you think do Ugandans and Rwandans laugh at the same thing?

SPEAKER_03 1:23:53

Yes, they do.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:55

Really?

SPEAKER_03 1:23:56

They do. It is easier for us to talk about our cultures, they are not so similar. I'm not so different. They are not so different. So, and we've had so many inter-exchanges in everything, whether it's marriage, whether it's school, whether it's word. So the cultures are not so far-fetched. So we almost understand each other. I say almost because it's not, you know, we can't take it for granted, but that some people do not know some of the cultures there, and some people don't know some of the cultures here. But we are so similar in lifestyle, in behavior, not so far apart. So that's why Luganda comedians came here the last time they had a show here, and they were cracking ribs. And I'm like, oh, okay, it works, okay, no problem.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:48

Yeah. I'd like to ask, when you're performing to your Ugandan crowd, yeah, what would make what makes Ugandans laugh? Like literally laugh and so hard that they're breaking their ribs, that an outsider would never understand.

SPEAKER_03 1:25:09

Political commentary. If you would if you do a joke about a current political action or activity or occurrence, ah, especially if it was funny, and then you you give it a context that they did not see coming. Anything political, trust me, the Ugandan will laugh.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:39

Why do they think their politicians are a joke? A hundred percent.

SPEAKER_03 1:25:51

I'm not saying this with that with the with fear or what no, politicians are a joke, and as a comedian, I am worried that our jobs are going because they have become even funnier than us. Of course, not all, but like you said, there are some that you won't joke around with. Yeah, there are some that you can there are some serious political, you know, players in Uganda, but the majority make all of them look bad. So you cannot start giving credit to somebody who's surrounded by no credit.

SPEAKER_02 1:26:28

Yeah. You know, one of the things that people talk about who've come to Rwanda for the very first time is how do I say this? Is the way Rondans are. Yeah, that some would say, you know, is weird. Actually, a few years ago, there's a South African who had been traveling in the region, and when she came here, she said, you know, Rondons are robots. You know, they they some come and say that, you know what, there is everyone seems scared. Scared on the edge. What what's what's been you've been here a few times, you've obviously interacted with Rondans. What's what's what's your sense of how we are?

SPEAKER_03 1:27:22

I think I think it it depends on where you are from. Like, for example, for me in Uganda, there are laws that govern so many things, but they are not put into practice. There's too much talk on stuff that we don't put into action. You see, the reason why a person like me from Uganda will come and see a Rwandan as a robot is because Rwanda has set standards that you have to follow. That in Uganda are not there. They may be there, but we don't follow them. We say buzz should open after 5 p.m. In Uganda, any time is tea time. So when I come here and I find the rule of buzz are opening after 4 p.m., I'm like, you guys are being controlled. But no, it's a system. It is how it was designed. So me who has that freedom of what? Of this, where there are no systems and what, I will look at it as you guys being controlled. Yet you are just ideally following the system that has been set. So me, I'll look at it as you being robots, yet you are looking at it as normal, because that is how you are designed. Me, I'm designed to go fall down, we do this, dada, throw cavera. And nobody says anything. Then I come here and I say, eh, eh, hey, hey, Rwanda is very clean. You can never see a cavera. And then when I go back to my country, I am the first one as I'm leaving the airport to buy sugarcane and I.

SPEAKER_06 1:29:10

Because I know there are no systems.

SPEAKER_03 1:29:18

In every society to function well and everything, there has to be order. And the order has to be followed by action.

SPEAKER_02 1:29:26

This is a question that I like to ask anyone who comes from a different country. Yeah. I always like to have a sense of that country and how people really feel about what their future looks like.

SPEAKER_04 1:29:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:29:40

What does what do you think today we are in 2026? What does what do you in your head, you're now 41 years of age? Right? You're getting right to that nice middle age. Yeah, that one. What what do you think Uganda looks like by the time you hit 51?

SPEAKER_03 1:30:01

By the time I hit 51, 51, 10 years from now, 10 years from now. I don't know why, but I'm very optimistic. I'm very optimistic of what is coming ahead based on the little research that I have done in terms of what has been discovered vis-a-vis the plans that have been put in place. If the two are coordinated very well, I believe even 2051 is far-fetched. We just need the right people to manage the country. The right people, not just leaders, the right people, whether in the private sector, whether in the government sector, we just need the right people who have the interests of the country at heartfast.

SPEAKER_02 1:30:54

Last question to Salvador.

SPEAKER_06 1:30:57

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:30:59

Do you ever see yourself running for public office?

SPEAKER_03 1:31:05

Never. Never. So many people have asked me that question. Even the guys in my constituent constituency where I was uh where my parents come from, they but no, I don't see myself. Maybe I will support somebody.

SPEAKER_02 1:31:22

I know. You just talked about Uganda that is going to be an amazing, don't you want an amazing country? Don't you? You know, you're not just a comedian, like you said, you are uh an engineer. Yes. Right? Why no to political office?

SPEAKER_03 1:31:39

Ah no, political office comes with so many responsibilities, the way it's done in Uganda. The way it's done in Uganda. Like I said, we are too, what should I call it? We are too entitled. We expect so much from people. So people start putting expectations on you. Oh, he's our member of parliament, he's had this, but he has not done that. I don't want to go through that drama. I don't want that drama. I want to privately contribute to the success of my country by being the greatest there ever has been. Amazing.

SPEAKER_06 1:32:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:32:20

Patrick, thank you so much for joining me. It's been a pleasure, man. I hope you had a I hope you've not not a good time, but I hope you've had uh we've had a good conversation.

SPEAKER_03 1:32:31

I hope so too. Because I've been, you know, when I watched the guests, some of your guests on your podcast, I told myself, Alvado, I need to work very, very hard to be on that podcast. Because I need to share something. But maybe I still need some time. And then Darius says, Hey, by the way, Sunny, I said, Sunny, you're lying. He said, No, he wants you to be on the podcast. I said, Oh. So so many things have happened to me since arriving in Chigali. One, we were supposed to take one hour to land in Chigali. We took 45 minutes. Big up Rwanda Air. Two, as soon as I landed, Asano started playing, and it won't. And all the rest lost. Three, I get to be on a podcast with Sunny. On the ha ha listen, what more do I want? I'm even worried that my performance tomorrow is not going to be nice. Because so many things, good things cannot happen to you, and you don't expect one bad thing to happen. I hope it's not the show.

SPEAKER_02 1:33:32

I hope not either. Patrick, thank you so much for your talk. It's been a pleasure, man. It's been an absolute pleasure and honor. Yeah. And, you know, it's it's always amazing to hear from different, you know, it's it shouldn't always be politicians. It's it's it's really refreshing to kind of hear from you guys who we only see on TV and actually realize that there is a real human being behind that screen. There's a person who's living and breathing and and dealing with real human issues and conditions. And it's not just, you know, uh, because sometimes I I see how people interact with you. It's it's almost as if you're not a human being. Yeah. As if you don't feel pain.

SPEAKER_03 1:34:20

You don't feel pain, yeah, true.

SPEAKER_02 1:34:23

And I I hope I hope this conversation has somewhat humanized you. Definitely. Because right now, for me, I feel that I actually know you. Yeah. And I thank you, and I feel very honored that you gave me the opportunity. Pleasure as well, my man. Thank you so much, brother. And good luck tomorrow. Thank you. Thank you, BK Arena, for providing a venue for the long form podcast to record. BK Arena is Ronda's leading multi-purpose venue and the go-to destination in Kigali for world-class events. Known for hosting international concerts, major sporting events, high-level conferences, and large-scale productions, BK Arena offers premium event venue alongside modern conference and meeting rooms designed to global standards. From corporate gatherings to cultural and entertainment moments, BK Arena is where Kigali hosts its biggest experiences. Keep up with them at BK Arena on socials and visit their website, bkarena.rw. And that's a wrap for today's conversation. Thanks for staying with us till the very end. It really means a lot. I'd love to know what was the one moment that really stood out to you? Drop it in the comments so that we can keep the discussion going. If you want to connect with us beyond YouTube or streaming platforms, you can find us on the social media platform of your choice. And if this has sparked something for you, share it with a friend who'd love it too. Until next time, have a great week.

SPEAKER_00 1:35:58

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