Local artist Joseph Sinon gears up for 2-in-1 comedy and musical show on May 2 |29 April 2021
Sinon in a contemplative mode
After a year away from the local spotlight, Joseph Sinon is gearing up for his first live on-stage and in-person performance for this year with the show Vaksen Antistres.
The 2-in-1 comedy and musical show hosted by Seychelles’ favourite comedian and performer is set to open at ICCS this weekend, on Sunday May 2.
The three-hour long show, starting from 3pm, seeks to bring some laughter and gaiety in what has been an otherwise difficult period.
If Dr Gedeon’s vaccination campaign hopes to build herd immunity against the virus, Sinon’s ‘antistress vaccine’ is looking to cure the blues.
“Vaksen Antistress was conceptualised to put people at ease, to make them laugh at our situation in the new normal and things that have happened that are a bit funny, while also trying to educate people,” remarked Sinon.
Sinon will be accompanied by fellow female comedian, his right-hand lady, Vurna in comedy sketches as well as by singer Elijah who will show off some of his comedic skills.
“The show is an opportunity for us to showcase our new sketches and the new music which have come out recently such as my new album ‘Konba Round 20’,” explained Sinon.
Aside from Sinon, the show’s music lineup will comprise Elijah, Mercenary, Cocky, Gunz, Clive Camille, Tania and some other surprise artists.
Live entertainment and performers have suffered greatly from the Covid-19 shutdowns, and Sinon noted that it was about time that they jumped back on the performing wagon.
“When the health authority removed the restrictions, I was one of the first persons on the phone with the ICCS to book the venue,” Sinon added.
Nonetheless those attending the show will be required to wear face masks. Additionally, names and body temperature will be jotted down for contact tracing purposes and sitting arrangements will have to allow for social distancing.
“We have also been told that the audience should not get up and dance around, as was the case in musical shows before Covid-19. Although this will be difficult for some people who like to enjoy themselves fully, it is a point that we will stress on so that everything runs smoothly and other artists can also later perform at the ICCS,” remarked Sinon.
Ticket sales are going well and based on whether there is a demand, Vaksen Antistres might see an encore the following week.
“We are also looking at bringing the show to our fans on Praslin and La Digue,” added Sinon.
The tickets for the show are being sold at R250 at Dara’s Plus near the Victoria market place and Tanmi’s office at the National Library car park. Children under five will not have to pay to get in but will not be able occupy a seat and will have to sit on the person accompanying them.
In regards to his new music, Sinon remarked that ‘Konba Round 20’ could be his best album yet.
“I describe this album this way because I am more mature as a singer and my lyrics are more mature, although they are still humorous. I also had the opportunity to work with a long list of artists on this album who have upped the quality of the album,” he explained.
The album features a total of 17 songs with contributions from Ruben, Jean-Marc Volcy, Ion Kid, Reggie, Marcel Jeannevole, Vurna, Tania, Sandra, Lauren, Julia, John Wirtz, Simon Amade, Clive Camille, Neo, Mercenary and Emmanuel Marie.
Also featured on the albums are Mauritian artists such as Linzy Bacbotte and Jason Heerah.
Throughout the three years it took to produce ‘Konba Round 20’, Sinon worked with four studios in Seychelles and another four recording studios in Mauritius, each bringing their own different style and vibe to the album.
This has led to a medley of genre including soca, moutya, séga, zouk kompa, dancehall, raga and reggae.
“I faced some financial difficulties during the three years I had been working on the album because I did not want to rely on music produced by a computer, I wanted a live band and musicians,” recounted Sinon.
He gave special acknowledgment to local artists Patrick Victor, Gilles Lionnet, Jones Camille, Serge Camille, Celine Dine and Bertin Telemaque who gave permission for their songs to be sampled.
‘Konba Round 20’ will be on sale at Sunday’s show, and can also be purchased from Dara’s Plus and Tanmi’s office on Mahé, Aden and Ah-Yune on Praslin and at Laura on La Digue.
The CD is going for R150 while pen drives cost R225.
After more than a year of being derailed by the pandemic, Sinon is looking forward to a hectic year ahead with two major plans set for October 2021.
Elsie Pointe
