* Another show is scheduled for Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe on August 13 in a trio featuring Salvado from Uganda
* He began his comedy career in 2001 while he was in Canada and to hone his craft, he focused on stand-up clubs and open mic nights
* In 2018, he launched a BBC Radio 4 series ‘Daliso Chaponda: Citizen of Nowhere’
By Duncan Mlanjira
England-based stand-up comedian, Daliso Chaponda is set to mesmerize Malawians in a joint show with British comedian Imran Yusuf scheduled for Sunday, August 7 at Amaryllis Hotel and on menu will also be a raffle draw which has fantastic prizes up for grabs.
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The prizes include a return air ticket to Johannesburg, South Africa; one night stay in Amaryllis Hotel presidential suite; a day trip to Game Haven for two; one month gym membership; K50,000 shopping voucher at Food Lovers and several others.
Another show is scheduled for Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe on August 13 in a trio featuring Salvado — real name Patrick Idringi — from Uganda.
Daliso, who became a finalist in the variety show, Britain’s Got Talent in 2017 — finishing third overall, is son to former Cabinet Minister George Chaponda while Imran is a Kenyan-born who has appeared on various British radio and TV comedy shows.
He performed for the first time in Malawi 2009. In 2012, whilst performing in the country, he made a joke about the Malawian flag during one of his ‘Laughrica’ shows but government subsequently threatened to arrest him for insulting the flag.
According to Wikipedia, Daliso — who launched a BBC Radio 4 series ‘Daliso Chaponda: Citizen of Nowhere’ in 2018 — began his comedy career in 2001 while he was in Canada and to hone his craft, he focused on stand-up clubs and open mic nights.
His very first headlining show, ‘Feed This Black Man’ was at Concordia University in 2002 and in 2006, he moved to the United Kingdom where he opened for other comedians such as John Bishop through which he appeared in venues in the United Kingdom, as well as in South Africa and Australia.
In 2008, he appeared in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s ‘Best of the Fest’ and in the same year, he also opened for Canadian comedian Sugar Sammy in Dubai and Jordan.
In 2014, he co-wrote a BBC Radio 4 drama-comedy series inspired by Sibusiso Mamba’s ‘When the Laughter Stops’.
As a result of his appearance on Britain’s Got Talent, Chaponda signed with BBC Radio 4 to create a new series called ‘Daliso Chaponda: Citizen of Nowhere’ which begun in 2018 — totalling 12 half-hour episodes by 2021 which rebroadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra in 2022.
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Daliso, who said in interviews that he admires many standup comedians, but has been most influenced by humorous authors such as George Bernard Shaw and Ronald Dahl, began his first headlining world tour ‘What the African Said’ in February 2018.
He was born in Zambia in 1979 and spent several years between multiple African countries before going to Malawi at the age of 11
Academically, Daliso attended Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Souther Africa and went on to further education at McGill University and Concordia University in Canada — studying computer programming and English literature.
Wikipedia chronicles Imran as having been born in Mombasa, Kenya to ethnic Indian parents and went on to grown in London after his family became refugees following the expulsion of Asians from Uganda by Idai Amin in 1972.
He is reported to have initially worked in the video game industry on the development for several Midway Games titles such as Spy Hunter and Championship Manager.
He first performed in 2000 at a comedy show hosted by comedian Jeff Mirza and started his full-time career in comedy in 2003 after quitting the video game industry.
He won a stand-up competition at Newbury Comedy Festival in 2004 and in 2010, he appeared at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with his first solo show ‘An Audience with Imran Yusuf’ — receiving positive reviews and a nomination from the Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards for the best newcomer.
In 2010, Imran appearing on Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow as well as debuting on the BBC Radio 7’s satirical news comments ‘The Now Show on Boxing Day of that year and in February 2011, he appeared on BBC Radio 4’s ‘The News Quiz and also BBC Two’s ‘How TV Ruined Your Life’, together with Charlie Brooker.
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His UK tour ‘An Audience with Imran Yusuf’ started in February 2011 as well at London’s Soho Theatre and later that year, he made a debut on Arthur Smith’s Balham Bash on BBC Radio 4.
In 2011, Imran performed a show called ‘Bring The Thunder’ at the Edinburgh Fringe and ‘The Imran Yusuf Show’ in 2012 was broadcast on the BBC.
Patrick Salvado Idringi is also an actor, director of ceremonies, radio personality and an engineer, who is also known as ‘The Man from Ombokolo’.
He was first runner up in the comedy competition, ‘Standup Uganda’ organised by MultiChoice Africa in 2009 and he reached the semifinals of the ‘World’s Funniest Person’ competition in 2016.
He was also nominated in 2017 and 2018 in the ‘Savannah Comic’ Choice Awards as the Pan African Comic of the Year.
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