EVANDER – Aquilar Dhlamini (35) is not only a sensei with a Universal Shotokan Karate Union Dojo in Kinross, he is also a professional standup comedian.
He believes that comedy is a unique way of teaching and that it eases life.
“I like to say that things are bound to go well when you are happy and things are bound to go wrong when you are angry,” said Dhlamini.
His mother died in 2006 and Dhlamini said she was the funniest person he knew. Dhlamini has always been an introvert, yet a comedy genius.
“After high school, I was forced to become more extroverted and many people said to me: ‘You should become a comedian’.”
It was his mother, who he described as a prayerful and spiritual woman, who inspired him to seek the Lord and have a burden to get people to love God.
Dhlamini read the Bible from cover to cover twice in 2009. He then also launched a website which had a big global reach and informed people about spiritual matters.
One of the pages he had on the website, was called ‘Comics & Leisure’ and had nothing to do with spiritual matters, it was just jokes and comical things.
He also wrote a book called The Truth about Comedy from a Perspective of a Christian Comedian which is available on Amazon.
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Dhlamini always believed in only telling clean jokes with no blasphemous things. He only considered becoming a standup comedian in 2013 when things became tough.
“I did some research about comedy and watched the best in the game’s shows and realised that I looked a lot like the most respected and ranked as the best comedian, Dave Chappelle.
“I then knew that was the route I should take.”
His part-time career as a comedian kicked off after he performed at a comedy and talent search competition in Sandton in 2014.
He performed in nightclubs at first, but in 2016 he decided to stop because he noted that his spiritual life was taking a knock in that environment.
“I was discouraged because of the vulgar and blasphemous content of the other comedians performing at night clubs and the Bible encourages us to be different from the world and not like the world,” said Dhlamini.
He exchanged his comedy platform in nightclubs for a platform in churches in 2017. Few churches received him with open arms, as most churches are weary of comedians because of the blasphemous content of most comedians’ shows.
When Dhlamini researched comedy, he was greatly inspired by ‘Comedian Nazareth’ and Michael Junior, two Christian comedians from the USA, and a local comedian based in Port Elizabeth, TD Jokes.
His biggest inspiration, however, was the late NJ Sithole who Dhlamini described as the funniest evangelist he has ever met.
“Whenever I attended his revival crusades, I felt healed from the depressing remarks made against Christians.
“His jokes were outstanding and I felt the same way about Dr SD Gumbi, in my books they are the fathers of comedy.
“I also admire Trevor Noah, as he is the most well-known comedian in South Africa, yet he is not vulgar and I like the fact that he still talks well about God.”
He got his stage name, Comedian Joshua, in 2015 when a prophet spoke over him and said: ‘God said I must call you Joshua’.
It was Dhlamini’s father who inspired him to take part in karate as his father was also a top karateka back in the day.
Dhlamini excelled in karate as well and was the university karate champion in 2006 when the final fight between him and the number 2 was televised on SABC.
He walked away with the gold medal for Kumite at this championship.
