MAKING MOVES: Siya Seya is always on the road socialising with different people and learning about different cultures.
THIS is the story of what happens when you are funny, toothless and endorsed by the likes of David Kau, Skhumba Hlophe and Mashabela Galane.
The 32-year-old ‘toothless nonsense’ that is Siyabulela Seya, better known by his stage name, Siya Seya, shares the story of how he moved from the Eastern Cape to Gauteng with only a month’s rent and a desperate hope to amaze comedy followers and blow the minds of promoters – so they could book him for at least one show so that he could make the next rent payment!
Siya needed to be closer to popular comedy gigs in Joburg but couldn’t afford rent anywhere in the South.
He rented a backroom in Protea Glen, Soweto, using a big portion of the last money he had, and battled to afford food and other essentials. But, nothing deterred him on his journey to prove a point and make his mark in comedy.
“Coming from East London and Mdantsane, where I was used to things not going my way because the comedy scene is a bit slow, I took a risk to move to Joburg last year.
BIG SHOT: His unique style of delivery works on all kinds of people from different cultures.
“I had been doing comedy for almost 10 starving years to make ends meet and be able to afford to go where there was a crowd I could make laugh.
“Today, I am still in disbelief because I am not used to things going my way at all. Even my first appearance on stage was me insanely gate crashing a government event in 2007. I performed but no one laughed; it was terrible,” said a nostalgic Siya.
That moment didn’t break his spirit. Siya knew he was original and only needed to learn to work a crowd, find his voice and know what story to share.
“I’ve been doing comedy for 10 years and I’m really on top of my game now. I took people by surprise when I grabbed the mic in this beautiful city of Johannesburg. I am now constantly on the move and doing shows all over the place.
TRAVELLING: Johannesburg has shown Siya much love and acceptance.
“All of this would not be possible without Skhumba Hlophe, David Kau and Mashabela Galane because they embraced and featured me on their shows, such as Comedy Under The Sun, by Mashabela, and Mojokes, by David Kau. Skhumba has been instrumental to my survival here in Joburg because he took me in and gave me gigs. This is how he is towards upcoming comedians, as big and established as he is.”
Personal life
Siya started school in East London and later moved to Mdantsane, where he was introduced to the microphone as an aspiring Kwaito musician. It was there where he studied broadcasting and realised he wants nothing more than to be in the entertainment industry.
After drawing some inspiration from a Chris Rock DVD, he worked hard and produced a low budget DVD, which he recorded from a show he ran for three consecutive nights.
“I come from a poor family so whatever money I make I send some home, but for me when someone comes to me after a show and says, ‘you just made my day’, that’s worth more than money.”
FUNNY MAN: Making people laugh by sharing his pain and struggles is something Siya has embraced.
Inspiration
“I’m inspired by life experiences and the amazing art of turning something painful into something to laugh about. My motto is ‘giving up is never an option’. I have been doing comedy for 10 years now and it’s been really hard and challenging because in this industry being funny is not enough, you have to work extremely hard off stage too.
“I want everyone who comes to my shows to feel and know that my comedy comes from the heart and the aim is to heal them and make them laugh. This art form has made me a better person and that is how I would like my comedy to be viewed.
ENDORSED: Established comedian David Kau saw something in Siya Seya and booked him for one of the biggest shows in the country, Blacks Only.
Upcoming show
Siya said he is proud to have found a place to lay his head in the South of Joburg. He is preparing for his one-man-show, Toothless Nonsense, which he will perform and record on Wednesday, April 26, at The Bannister Hotel, in Braamfontein. Tickets to this limited-space venue will be sold at the door for R105 but are also available at www.quicket.co.za or by phoning 079 278 8253 or 082 543 9006.
“I am also writing television comedy content because in the long run I want to start my own production company and be able to produce for both television and theatre,” he concluded.
The saddest memory for Siya since arriving in Joburg was having to pull out of a comedy show, that was recorded at Montecasino and broadcast on Comedy Central and in which he was a semi-finalist, because he was not going to be able to pay his rent unless he accepted a gig in Mamelodi West, Pretoria.
