Dating a comedian is a joke

Comedian Emeka aka Collins Bareija

What you need to know:

MAKING WAVES. Comedian Emeka aka Collins Bareija has rather unique taste in women. While men his age are crushing on Rihana or Spice Diana, Emeka is crushing on the queen of England, writes Isaac Ssejjombwe.

What kind of comedy do you do?
I do storytelling, comparison and analysis.
Why those specific ones?
I do those styles because they describe who I am and also the fact that I have a Nigerian character, comparison suits me.
Speaking of that, most of us thought you are Nigerian?
Well, I am a Mukiga. Emeka was given to me by a Nigerian family whose daughter was my best friend.

Tell us more about yourself?
I am a first born of two boys and one girl. My dad is the late Lt Col James Magezi. My family never believed in my career as a comedian until they actually saw me on TV and flying out of the country for gigs. I studied Mass Communication at St Lawrence University.
How many girlfriends have you had in your life?
I have had quite a number. There are women I dated for a short while, (the unserious ones). There are those I had through school, those who washed my clothes and copied for me notes and then there were those I was serious about but things did not work out as we expected. The ones in the latter category are only three.

What qualities do you look out for in a woman?
She must be God-fearing, light skinned, beautiful, loving, caring, supportive, understanding, one who is ready to accept me the way I am not what I have. A woman of positive energy.

Who is your ideal woman?
Well, my ideal woman is a light skinned woman with the right moral values and intelligence. For me Queen Elizabeth of England has all these qualities and more. Also she was a very beautiful woman, if you have doubts check out her pictures when she was still young.
Would you date a fellow comedian?
Hell no. Never.

Why?
I feel as if we would always be competing since we are in the same industry. Also comedians are notoriously unserious, so I feel if I dated a comedian, our love would be a joke.
Who is your best comedian in Uganda?
Napoleon Emma and Daniel Omara. They are always available to give useful advice but most importantly they are so passionate about comedy that they make you want to be part of it.

How do Ugandan comedians compare with the rest of Africa?
Comedy here is really big and as Ugandan comedians, we are always respected outside there because of the foundation our predecessors have set, kudos to Anne Kansiime, Salvador, Teacher Mpamiire and Pablo among others. I learnt that after my performance just recently in Zambia were I had a very successful show, a group of people came to me and told me, “We are really impressed with Ugandan comedians, you guys are good.” That is how much we are valued outside Uganda.

What would you be if you were not a comedian?
I would be a manager and resurrect Ziza Bafana’s music career.

EMEKA’S BIGGEST SHOW
It was the ZED Laugh festival that happened in November this year in Lusaka Zambia. That was my biggest audience ever as I performed for close to 5000 people. It was so huge for me.