I’ve been booed off stage: Long John

SNEAK PEEK: Precious Chida

Stand-up comedian Learnmore Jonasi — popularly known as Long John — has made history after he won the People’s Choice award at the Steve Harvey’s Stand-up Spotlight Awards. He shrugged off stiff competition from other comedians from different parts of the world. He has become one of the top comedians on the African circuit, performing at prestigious events and venues such as Oppikkopi Festival, Park Acoustics, Mieliepop Festival and Jo’burg Theatre alongside giants such as Anne Kansime, Steve Harvey and Basketmouth.

NewsDay Life & Style reporter Precious Chida (ND) caught up with Jonasi (LJ) who opened up about his experiences.

ND: You are one of the few comedians from Zimbabwe that have broken onto the international scene. What is your secret?

LJ: It’s all about being able to dream big and going for it no matter what people say. I’ve been booed on stage, I’ve been described as boring, but I kept on going and learning to be better than my last performance no matter what they said about me and I’m still learning. I’m still a student of this craft and this is just the start of my story.

ND: You have been endorsed by Steve Harvey, a giant in the international comedy industry. What does that mean for your brand?

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LJ: First of all I used to watch Mr Harvey on my grandfather’s black and white TV as a young boy growing up in the village and to meet and talk to him and for him to tell me that he loves my comedy face to face was one of the best things to ever happen in my comedy journey.

Being endorsed by the original kings of comedy means I can now easily break into the American industry. This endorsement was like a key to open those doors that were closed before. ND: How was it interacting with him?

LJ: Talking to him was the richest and most powerful conversation I have ever had in my life. I got to spend a day with him, learning from him. I felt like a student back at school. The man has so much wisdom and knowledge you would be a fool not to listen.

ND: A lot of people believe it’s not an easy thing to get other people to laugh, what has been your experience?

LJ: No, it’s definitely not easy. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. It takes courage and experience to stand in front of strangers and make them laugh. But the more you do it, the more it becomes a part of you and the more you want to do it.

ND: You have won several accolades in a very short space of time. What does that mean for you as a comedian?

LJ: It means I’m on the right track. I’m where I’m supposed to be in my career, so this is motivation for me to keep working hard and improving my craft to be the best I can be.

ND: You have been nominated for a National Arts Merit Award. Do you think you stand a chance of scooping the award again this year?

LJ: Well, I think I might have a chance and I hope I win this one again.

ND: There is a school of thought that many comedians resort to laughter as a way of hiding their own pain?

LJ: No. As comedians, we have to face our pain in order to talk about it on stage, so we don’t hide our pain but we are very honest.

ND: Do you ever feel like you may not be able to get your audience to laugh ahead of a show?

LJ: Yes, every comedian goes through that feeling every time because you never know what’s going to happen until you go on that stage. It may not be your day.

ND: How do you prepare for these shows? Do you write the jokes down? Are they impromptu?

LJ: Comedians are different in the way they prepare for a show. I definitely prepare for every show. I write down every joke structure and test it in front of an audience until it’s perfect, but some of the things will always come while I’m on stage and that’s the fun part.

ND: What kind of challenges have you faced in your career and how did you overcome them?

LJ: The most important challenge in this art is to find your voice. It takes time and patience to find yourself as a comedian, and to perform for exposure, especially when you are starting out.

You have to perform for more than five years for the industry to start taking you seriously.

ND: What has been your biggest achievement in comedy?

LJ: I would have to say winning the Steve Harvey Audience Choice Award and the Savanna Pan African Comedian of the Year award. These awards have opened a lot of doors for me.

ND: You had your first show this year in Zimbabwe last week. How was the experience?

LJ: We had a sold-out show at Jasen Mphepo Little Theatre and I’m really thankful to everyone that showed up. I really appreciated it.

Knowing that I have that kind of support back home has motivated me to keep going and represent my people on international stages.