In 2009, Patrick Idringi alias Salvador chanced upon a Stand Up Uganda auditions advert at Theatre La Bonita. He registered and luckily made it to the top 20, who underwent training for two weeks.
Pablo Kimuli emerged as a winner and Salvador as the first runner-up. It is this very audition that set Salvador on the career path as a comedian. Fifteen years down the road, he is celebrating with a big show tonight dubbed Africa Laughs at Kingdom Kampala.
Do you remember your very first comedy show? How many people turned up? How much money did you make?
My very first comedy show was organised by myself and Daniel Omara. It was at Club Rouge and it sold out. At that time, money wasn’t even part of the things we really cared about. We just wanted to be on stage and perform. I don’t even know how much was made that day. All we wanted was drinks at Rouge.
Comedy shows of 15 years ago and comedy today. What key things stand out?
Comedy shows 15 years ago were pure because we were not motivated by money. Today, without money, the motivation is not there. There are a few comedy shows that are purely motivated by passion like the Laughing Maraboustock – a platform for upcoming comedians who just want to perform and entertain their audiences.
In your view, what makes a good comedian?
A good comedian is one who knows how to read his audience. No matter how prepared you are, how many scripts you rehearse, if you don’t read the audience, even your best jokes will land flat. We are seeing 11 comedians from different parts of Africa, two Ugandan music legends and Janzi band all advertised to perform. Why did you choose these specific comedians as your supporting acts?
These are comedians I have worked with over the past few years and I know they will totally define this 15 year celebration. I don’t want to leave anything to chance so from the first to last performer, I want everyone to be in awe.
We see artistes dominating comedy shows and here we are seeing Chameleon and Juliana as performers. Won’t this affect what you want to achieve?
It’s very hard to change a culture that has already been imprinted in people. Music and comedy go hand in hand today, and this being a celebration, I chose two of the legends I respect the most. I don’t even remember the last time I saw Juliana Kanyomozi on stage, but I believe her touch is what my show needs, for Jose chameleon I think it’s self-explanatory.
In 2020, The Uganda Comedians Association (TUCA) was formed with you on the committee yet in May this year, you came out and said comedians are responsible for the industry’s decline because they are disunited. Does this mean you guys failed as an association?
I think you misquoted me. I said when we allowed music to influence how we run our shows, that culture became hard to change. I’m glad the new generation of comedians is actively bringing order to the industry..
You are celebrating 15-years in comedy and it is also seven years of Africa laughs. Is this going to be a double celebration?
Africa Laughs 7 show had taken a break since 2022, and I had to bring it back. My friends in comedy really wanted to be a part of this celebration. I could have done a one-man show, but I figured it would have made more sense if I made it more of a celebration with my colleagues, which falls under Africa Laughs among the shows I do.
How did Rajiv Ruparelia and Cedric Babu impact your comedy career?
These two particular gentlemen (may their souls rest in peace) believed in me when I didn’t even know how far I would go with this. Rajiv was my biggest supporter.
He never hesitated to come through whenever I called him. Cedric was the one who made me valuable in terms of how I viewed myself. There is a lot I can say about these two gentlemen.
Was this choice of venue connected to Rajiv in any way?
Yes, when I pitched to him the idea of starting a weekly show in 2019, he was very open to it. In fact, he even waived the fees for my first show and he told me, ‘let’s see how it goes’.
He didn’t want me to make a loss on my first show. So in his memory, I decided to do one of my biggest shows at the same venue. When I reached out to his sister, Sheena, the meeting did not even last five minutes and the venue was offered, courtesy of the Ruparelia family.
Speaking about the weekly shows (Just Comedy), why did you put a stop to them?
I had plans of coming back to Kingdom Kampala for the Just Comedy show. The management contacted me to bring it back. Unfortunately, it is designated as Parliament [Parliament rents office space on the building] and I had to get clearance every week I did a show. The bureaucracy involved in getting clearance got on my nerves. We shall see if we can resume it after this show.
In one of the interviews, you said employers feared hiring your wife. Is that true?
Most of the people I would recommend her to are my friends, however much I know her potential, I don’t think she’d fully hit it because of the way they would treat her. This is the honest truth. And also if anything went wrong, I would be burning those bridges, so we decided to open up a company, Salphine Productions, together and it’s a decision that we are both proud of.
Fifteen years in comedy. What are you most grateful for?
I am grateful to God for the ability to harness this talent to make a living and sustain my family. I am indebted to the people who have supported me along the way.
What next for Salvador?
Well, I will keep going. I will always bring joy to people. Watch out for better things to come because I have a lot in store.