Tinaye Wayne …making a big statement on the comedy scene
On September 22, 2017, U.S. based comedian Alfred Kainga hosted his debut show in the country at the Reps Theatre.
Dubbed “The Home Coming Comedy Night”, the sold out event which also had Q Dube and Long John on the poster was certainly not to be missed.
Having already seen the supporting acts in action on numerous occasions, I was curious to see what this Kainga fellow was all about so I also grabbed a ticket and made my way to the theatre.
However, what really caught my eye on this particular day was not the main act or the two prominent supporting performers. It was the surprise package, a comedian who I had not seen or heard of before, Tinaye Wayne Chiketa.
From his brief explosive set on the day, I was certain that this boy had a bright future ahead on the comedy scene.
Fast forward to 2020, my prediction has not been far off as the comedian is turning out to be one of the biggest personalities in the game.
Tinaye is at his best when he is cracking jokes live on stage, but too bad the pandemic has made sure that we don’t get to attend live stand-up comedy shows. That has not stopped the comic from showcasing his talent as he is constantly featuring on numerous shows and skits on social media.
He has been working with various productions including Simuka Comedy, Magamba Network and Bustop TV among others, creating relatable satirical content.
Staring in skits that explore various societal and political issues, Tinaye has been making a huge statement in the industry with his ability to make people laugh at situations that would normally command seriousness.
Of late, he has been part of productions that take a swipe at both government and those who oppose its policies. He however tries to run away from the word ‘political’, rather opting for ‘social’.
“Political? That’s a very loaded word and shares blurred borderlines with sister words social, economic or erotic,” says Tinaye.
“Is it a matter of being political, or is it my deep patriotism to be up to speed with my daily life, my president, the performance of ministers and so on?”
He is probably the best at the moment when it comes to mimicking MDC-Alliance President Nelson Chamisa.
While some comedians seem to take sides when they are doing political skits, Tinaye has been able to strike a balance, firing shots at all sides of the political divide.
“You can only have the motivation to ‘balance the two’ if either or both are your behind-the-scenes-masters, I am far off that so there is no need to balance. All I do is speak the truth.”
For his standup sets, he loves telling his life story and hopes to share it with the rest of the world.
“For my stand up performance, storytelling is what I am really good at. I tell stories of my upbringing in the dust streets of Sunningdale. It’s a story I can’t wait for the world to hear.
He added that most comics have had to take their work onto the social media space since that is where everyone else is these days.
“Millennials are digital animals, and to successfully push any narrative, sustainably, you have to go digital. So comedy skits are ‘hot buns’ when digitally marketed, helping to grow our brand.”
Tinaye stars on Simuka Comedy’s Special Class where he is one of the lead actors. The show comes out every Tuesday on the Simuka International Youtube platform.
“I collaborate with many big media houses to produce quality content, Magamba Network being one of them as I feature on their famous show The Week.”
A holder of a marketing degree from UZ, Tinaye is currently pursuing comedy on a full time basis.
Comments are closed.