T5 Interview with Amandeep Jagde

Photo credit: Pool

What you need to know:

  • "I don't know what happens to other comedians as I'm very self-centered.


  • What I know is that you don’t have to quit your job to do standup comedy. And you can certainly make a living out of it.


  • All you have to know is that 10 per cent of it will depend on luck, 20 per cent on your skill, 15 per cent on your will power. It will be five per cent pleasure and 50 per cent pain, and 100 per cent reason to remember the name!" Amandeep Jagde. 

A Master’s degree holder in architecture, a chess enthusiast and a flat-earther...are some of the things he is not. Amandeep Jagde is a radio presenter and he sometimes performs stand-up comedy.

1. Do you ever use your marketing degree or has that paled in the shadow of your radio and comedy careers? 
Yes, I do use it. It is a very beautiful wall hanging. It is also a good reminder that I went to an American University in Kenya, making me one of the few people who fully understand American issues and culture. My job at Radio44 involves presenting and producing advertisements, where my marketing degree comes in handy – it's a very good mouse pad. Catch me every day at 5pm.


2. Do you think performing on the Churchill Show was important for you?
Yes, very important. Not only did I get stage time (one of the most important things for a comedian in my opinion), but I also met other comedians who I could learn from and also teach. I believe any opportunity that will get you stage time is beneficial to any comedian.

 
3. Who do you like and admire, both locally and internationally? Who do you think is really, really funny?
Sometimes I wish I was as funny as some of our representatives in parliament, but in terms of comedians, I admire Louis CK, Bill Burr, Dave Chappelle, Patrice O'Neal, Doug Stanhope, Norm Macdonald and Jagwant Singh (my dad). Locally, I adore all my buddies, including Emmanuel Kisiangani, Doug Mutai, Maina Murumba, David Macharia, George Waweru, Antony Ngachira, Justine Wanda, Stan Saleh, Eric Lusavali, Ciku Waithaka, Shazz Nderitu, Ribia and Mammito.
 

4.What are your future plans? Is comedy a viable career in Kenya?
The plan, or at least the dream, is to be a comedian who can equal a Chief Executive Officer of an SME, but who only works eight hours a week. I don't think I will ever stop getting on stage and performing. I guess that is easier to say and do when you're a healthy, muscular 26-year-old. I don't know what happens to other comedians as I'm very self-centered. What I know is that you don’t have to quit your job to do standup comedy. And you can certainly make a living out of it. All you have to know is that 10 per cent of it will depend on luck, 20 per cent on your skill, 15 per cent on your will power. It will be five per cent pleasure and 50 per cent pain, and 100 per cent reason to remember the name!
 

5. Why do you keep saying that the public wouldn’t know that you’ve ever been been on TV?
I was on TV a few years back, but I guess my appearance has changed, because after I perform, people always come up to me and say, "You should try the Churchill Show!" This is also changing, especially after I started uploading my own videos to my YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter pages (@amandeepjagde). Plus, physically, I don't look like I've been doing comedy. You might think I'm a personal trainer of personal trainers.