DALISO Chaponda may be a familiar face on TV after making it big as a comedian – but his upbringing and the work done by a local charity sees him head back to Saddleworth.
The Malawian star made it big after appearing on Britain’s Got Talent and has appeared on shows like The Royal Variety Performance and QI.
His act has been viewed online more than 300 million times, performed around the world and written Radio 4’s Citizen of Nowhere.
But on Saturday, February 4, he will be gracing the renowned Off The Rails comedy club at Greenfield’s Royal George pub, performing at a fundraiser for charity CRIBS International, which was established in Springhead.
And their work supporting refugee families means he just could not say no, with the aim of just being as funny as possible.
“Their work resonates with me as when I was born, my family were refuges from Malawi,” Daliso told Saddleworth Independent.
“We had a dictator there and I grew up and went from being refugees to my father working for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).
“I was too young really to know what was going on. I was born while my parents were refugees and by the time I was seven-years-old, we’d settled and we were travelling as diplomats.
“But as a kid, you don’t know what it means. I just remember I travelled a lot as a kid but as I grew older, I learned the back story.
“I came to the UK when I was in my mid-20s – but I lived in 14 countries when I was growing up. I’m a bit of this and a bit of that but it’s like a super power.
“My radio show is called Citizen of Nowhere but people who are being helped by CRIBS, I suppose they’re citizens of nowhere but not by choice.
“I’ve always done work for groups like Amnesty and the UNHCR – I suppose my thing is looking out for refugee work – and I’m very happy to do this gig.
“I’m aware of the work CRIBs does, so when I was offered the gig, charities always send you their work, so you can choose to do it and CRIBS’ is very impressive.
“There was no hesitation to so it at all.”
Daliso will appear alongside fellow acts Louis Burgess and Jessie Nixon, as well as MC Rob Riley, who he has worked with a number of times.
And he hopes his work reaps rewards as he joked: “You just do the funniest set you have and when it’s a charity gig, you get some good karma knowing you’re helping people!”
He added: “But with Rob, Louis and Jessie, it makes a nice quartet of very different styles. It will be a great gig.
“I’ve played at the venue before and have worked with Rob Riley in multiple phases of my career.
“Before I did TV and radio, I performed at a number of venues, including this one.
“I’ve always liked doing the Off The Rails gigs and the fact this is for a charity that does great work, is a bonus.”
*OFF The Rails at the Royal George in Greenfield starts at 8.30pm on Saturday, February 4. Tickets cost £16.50 and can be bought at www.wegottickets.com/event/566191.
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