Our beginning was something of a joke, a bit like everything in these past 14 years. We have always been great fans of stand-up comedy and, one day, while watching a Kevin Hart show, we realised that there were no practitioners in Mozambique, that there was space in the market, and that it could be an excellent opportunity to start something new. We created a simple flyer inviting the public to take part in a casting, and went in person to hand it out at universities and places where young people gather. The casting went, shall we say, beautifully badly. Not that many participants came, and those who did were not convincing. Right at the very end, two young men turned up – very late – we sensed in both of them the flame of passion for comedy and decided to back them. In the absence of stand-up comedians, we had to train and equip those who already had some talent acquired through years of experience in theatre with a local group. That is how our journey began, and in November this year it will be 14 years old. The start was weak, because there was a lot of unfamiliarity, so we had to do a job of educating the public, mixing sketches (short theatre pieces) into our show. A lot has changed since then, we are proud of what we have achieved, and today we can say that stand-up in Mozambique is on the right track. Making people laugh is a mission we take very seriously. There is a lot of teamwork behind every appearance on stage. We like to believe that our secret comes down to two main aspects: the first is that we always try to work as a united group. Each of us has our own particularities and values, and we complement one another’s work. The second and very important reason is our consistency. Despite adversity, we try to remain consistently funny in all our interactions, whether in person or online.
We like to say that we bring everyday matters from the daily lives of Mozambicans in a light and relaxed way, always with a dose of humour. From those complicated romantic relationships to our school days, our childhood, and even the best (or worst) years of university. Contrary to what many think, there is always a great deal of research involved in making humour. It is important to be constantly alert to what is happening in the country and in the world, and to be able to adapt those events to comedy. We believe that the closer the themes are to our audience, the more and the better they will see themselves reflected in the jokes, making them laugh much more. Our country is very vast, with very different peoples, but something we all have in common is the ability to laugh, even in adverse situations. That is what inspires us when drawing out our themes: the aunt who cooks the salad at the funeral, our escapades at school, relationships between couples, our jobs, and so on. Fortunately, we do not lack material; what sometimes makes it difficult for us is how the listener perceives it. Nowadays people are more sensitive and literal, and forget the funny side of what we address. If we make jokes about gay people, we are being homophobic; if we make jokes about women, we are being sexist, and so on. That is why, during our performances, we try to make sure our audience understands the joke as just that... a joke. It is not the opinion or view of the comedian.
“Making people laugh is a mission we take very seriously. There is a lot of teamwork behind every appearance on stage”
These days we already have great practitioners of our art form in the country, inside and outside the group. Names such as Txopito, Borges Makwakwa, Menezes, Rico Biosse, Maira Santos and Mário Mabjaia are already unavoidable figures on the national scene, who started on our stages or work with us with some regularity. Internationally, we draw inspiration from Gilmário Vemba, Fernando Rocha, Herman José, Os Quatro Amigos, Fábio Porchat and Rodrigo Marques in the Portuguese-speaking world, and Kevin Hart, Chris Rock and Trevor Noah among English speakers. We have already had the pleasure of sharing the stage with some of these references, in Mozambique, Portugal and Angola.
The pandemic affected the whole world, and it was no different for us. The curfew and the calls for people to stay at home affected us tremendously. The virtual world appeared as a viable alternative, but truth be told: it is in interpersonal contact that the je ne sais quoi of making art exists; that is where we feel good and want to be. It was 2 years without being able to be on a stage with a live audience, sharing good moments and laughter. We could not wait to get back to the stage, our passion.
We think that nowadays you cannot talk about art without social media and the digital world. The world is increasingly becoming a global village, and every day we are bombarded with art (from good to bad) and, on the other hand, we can make our art reach further. Since we began, the online universe has always been vital to our work; it is through social media that we are able to interact with our audience and bring them to the theatres. On the other hand, it is on social media that we follow new trends in stand-up and humour around the world in general, which keeps us constantly learning new things and improving the quality of our shows. In a tremendously globalised world, where access to our work is a click away, we think we should look at culture as Mozambique’s calling card to the world. And it is important to understand that, by doing comedy and sharing it with the world, we are sharing what makes us unique and asserting our way of being, our Mozambican identity.
As we head towards our 15th anniversary, we would like to be more present in the lives and everyday routines of Mozambicans. This year we managed to achieve one of our dreams, appearing on television, and we hope in the coming times to be able to put on shows in every province of the country. However, our work needs more support, both from the public and from the brands that invest in events. For the future? Radio, more television, podcasts? Anything can happen. The sky is no longer the limit.
Beautiful stories lived by Improriso
A moving story occurred when one of our comedians had a fire at his home, leaving him and his family with practically nothing. We immediately asked our friends and followers for support, and held a benefit show, to which people brought goods and clothes. The show was a success, and we managed to help our artist start his life over.
Once we produced a show dedicated to love and, a few hours beforehand, we were contacted by a young man who wanted to propose to his girlfriend on stage. It was a special moment for them, and for us too. We met the couple again not long ago. They are married and happy.
