LOCAL COMEDY is going through what the music industry has enjoyed for the past few years. It has attracted more refined players, diversified genres, and a growing fan base, thanks to drama series that are making local comedy a thing in Rwanda’s creative industry.
Tracing the rise of comedy in Rwanda, The New Times highlights five drama series that produced some of the best standup comedians in Rwanda as well as pushed the comedy industry to greater heights.
Papa Sava
At least 500, 000 people watch ‘Papa Sava’ series weekly. It is the most streamed Rwandan series on YouTube with over five hundred subscribers. The drama series introduced new comedians in the industry including Ndimbati, one of the best actors in Rwandan cinema, Dingi Dingi, Hatungi and many others. Produced by one of the top comedians in Rwanda Gratien Niyitegeka, there is no doubt that the weekly series will even take the comedy industry to another level. It was launched in 2008 by its director Gratien Niyitegeka.
Seburikoko
Seburikoko is a Rwandan Comedy TV Series created by Nelly Wilson Misago who produces it through, Afrifame ltd. The 15-minutes episode series airs on Rwanda Television (RTV) every Monday and Thursday at 6:45 PM. It recounts a story of a man called Seburikoko who calls himself Sebu because he believes he is the richest man in the neighborhood, but does nothing to support his family. It stars an ensemble cast comprised by Rwandan celebrated comedian Gratien Niyitegeka as a title character Seburikoko, Antoinette Uwamahoro as his wife Siperansiya, Erneste Kalisa, Leo Ngabo, Mediatrice Muhutukazi (known for her role in Rwandan radio soap opera Urunana as Kankwanzi), among many others. The TV series is among the first to produce some of the best players in the comedy industry such as Mugisha best known as Kibonke in the movie.
Bamenya series
Bamenya is one of the leading Rwandan series on YouTube with the highest number of viewers growing day per day. Produced in Kinyarwanda and directed by Ramadhan Benimana popularly known as Bamenya, the series has attracted attention of many movie and comedy lovers in the country from its production to the actors. More than 3 million people watch the series on YouTube.
Mugisha Na Rusine
After blessing comedy lovers with ‘Umuturanyi Series’, Emmanuel Mugisha best known as Kibonke in local cinema, produced Mugisha Na Rusine, one of the most loved YouTube series that introduced Rusine to Rwanda’s comedy industry. The drunk-inspired jokes played in this series made Rusine host a one-man standup comedy show in Rwanda. Dubbed "Inkuru ya Rusine”, it was the first one man-show headlined by a local comedian in Rwanda, thanks to Mugisha Na Rusine. Millions of Rwandans watch the series that comes out every month.
Umuturanyi Series
Umuturanyi series is entertaining in the sense that it showcases the different norms and Kinyarwanda accents, from different parts of Rwanda. It became popular, thanks to some of the actors like Charles Nkurikiyinka (Umukonyine) who acts as a cattle owner from the eastern part of the country alongside an actress named Sandrine Uwimpundu, best known as Rufonsine, who plays the role of a villager from the northern part of Rwanda with broken Kinyarwanda. It is directed by local comedian, Emmanuel Mugisha.