Most people especially Ghanaians have the preconceived opinion that comedy is a career path for only the dim-witted and dull individuals and have little to no regard for them.
Addressing this misconception, Ghanaian born comedian Clement Ashiteye and known to most as Clemento Suarez, who has become a household name in the country when it comes to comedy says, the craft is actually for those with sharp minds and wits.
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Speaking in an interview with Happy98.9FM’s DJ Advicer, host of the ‘Ayekoo After Drive’, he mentioned, “The time for saying stupid things for people to laugh is in the past. To do comedy now, you have to be intelligent, smart and have a serious ability to improvise”.
He added that regardless of having the smarts, one must also invest in his/her stage craft with numerous rehearsals and must never forget an important plus, “your appearance”, he noted.
According to him, with all these going for you as a comedian, and after being accepted by your audience, “you’re set in the art.” He said. “After being accepted, even your appearance makes the audience laugh. You can even say humorless jokes but they will still laugh because of their experience with you and an image being played in their minds whenever you mount the stage”.
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When asked by DJ Advicer if comedy can be learnt, Clemento explained that the art is inherent and can only be fine-tuned but never taught.
Sharing a joke with listeners before leaving, the comedian exclaimed, “With how constant and tight I wear my face mask, it might kill me before the ‘corolla virus’ {coronavirus}”.
By: Joel Sanco