African Satirist Mamane Plans Drama School To Promote 'freedom'
Faizan Hashmi Published July 28, 2019 | 10:20 AM
Niamey, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Jul, 2019 ) :On a dusty patch of land on the outskirts of the capital Niamey, Niger's most famous comedian Mamane shows off a site he says will host a drama school to promote African artists and freedom on a continent rife with corruption and strife.
Largely unknown in the Anglosphere, the performer is famous in French-speaking Africa for the satirical radio show "The Very, Very Democratic Republic of Gondwana" spoofing crooked regimes and the rich nations that prop them up.
Having spent a large part of his career in France, Mamane smiles with pride as he describes plans to construct a drama school that will offer comedy and other entertainment training to Niger's youth.
"We are all Muslims, Christians -- we are human beings -- and it will be a school to really learn freedom, the love of life. Living together is what we want," he said.
Rated by the United Nations as one of the world's least developed nations, the push to open a drama school is an unusual step in a country better known for its entrenched poverty and militants insurgency.
"All that the militants don't like to see people live, enjoying their freedom to the full. They want to constrain people and lay down the law," Mamane said.
"This (school) aims to provide jobs to young Africans, giving hope to these young people, telling them that we can create jobs here in Africa," he said.
It is the latest step in a career that has already won over an international radio audience of some 30 million people, according to a Radio France International estimate, and a switch to the big screen with the 2016 satirical film 'Bienvenue au Gondwana' ('Welcome to Gondwana').
Like Mamane's radio work, the movie made fun of an African state whose venal dictator is set on clinging to power.
"Policemen in Africa sometimes call me 'Mr President'", Mamane told AFP after being pulled over by a policeman during a routine check on the road and then saluted in jest by the cop who recognised him as the comedian.
"This is African second-degree humour, a way of laughing while criticising the system. It's a kind of resilience." - 'Project of my life' - Born in 1966, Mamane spent his formative years living in foreign capitals with six siblings as their father was a career diplomat.
He embarked on a scientific career and moved to France in 1991 to finish a master's degree in plant physiology.
But once in Paris, the underbelly of power he observed as a child came to the fore as he took to the stage and honed an act known for tackling touchy topics and lambasting African rulers.
Now branching out, Mamane says he plans to take his irreverent stand-up act to the English-speaking world.
"I'm preparing a bilingual show with Anglophone humourists from Nigeria, Cameroon and Rwanda in October," he told AFP.
"I haven't played in Anglophone countries yet but it's my next step."But his focus is still on the sandy patch of ground which he says one day will help develop a new generation of Niger comedians.
"This school will grow and it will really be the project of my life," he said.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Nazish Jahangir denies viral screenshots, calls them fake
Govt likely to hike electricity price once again
Bismah Maroof announces immediate retirement from international cricket
Malala expresses unwavering support for Gaza people
Selection committee dissolved over Pakistan women cricket team's poor performanc ..
Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz in police uniform at Chung police center
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 25 April 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 25 April 2024
Mired in crisis, Boeing reports another loss
Session Awarding Ceremony 2024 held at Cadet College Muzaffarabad
Austrian ski great Hirscher to make comeback under Dutch flag
Pakistan, Japan agrees to convene 'Economic Policy Dialogue'
More Stories From Miscellaneous
-
PDMA predicts gusty wind, rain with thunder, hails
2 days ago -
Iranian president Raisi given guard of honour at PM House
3 days ago -
Intellectuals, writers accolades Naseer Mirza on his literary contribution
4 days ago -
Bahawalpur Adabi Sangat hosts memorable mushaira
4 days ago -
Cattle farming vital to alleviate poverty in rural areas
4 days ago -
Pakistan: A land of tourism, archeological wonders
4 days ago
-
Transforming education sector: from job hunters to job creators
6 days ago -
Amjad Bobby remembered on 19th death anniversary for timeless contributions to music
10 days ago -
Legendary actor Nadeem’s 26 films released on Eid-ul-Fitr days in 50 years
11 days ago -
Besant Hall Cultural Centre to celebrate evening with Sanam Marvi on 26 April
11 days ago -
Radio Bahawalpur presents program “Eidi Shidi”
14 days ago -
Radio Bahawalpur to broadcast Eid programs
16 days ago