Blog

If you say you’re somebody’s fan, well, that gets tested most when the chips are down, not when the said person is riding high on the updraft of victory. That explains why all celebrities and notable individuals camouflage in the false sense of success to avoid the sneer and piercing eyes of their ‘haters’ as they call them. Did I say all celebrities? ( *** My palm Hitting my head*** ) Makosa ni yangu!

Not all notable persons, at least not The COAT( Creative Of All Time, if you will)

The world was sick, people died and those who were living were either depressed or emotionally unable to cope with the pandemic. Being a doctor in a bleeding world, Abel Mutua reached into himself for what will cure him and offered it to Wakurugenzi as their medicine too. Education. Information. Entertainment.

And now, we meet The COAT. Listen in.

Tahidi high introduced you to the world and you went on to become a household name in the film industry. At the peak of your career when your shows were attracting record views, you quit your lucrative job to start your own venture. Looking back at your achievements and failures in the past few years, where would you have been had you remained an employee of media/entertainment companies in the country?

I don’t think I would have come this far had I not left employment. There isn’t a lot of creative freedom under employment.

(Full response?)

Wakurugenzi, you call them, the Executive producers of your shows you say they are. What inspired this decision to not only make your fans the center of your decision-making but also the main financiers of it all?

This was intentional in removing a lot of middlemen from the processes. The notion of entertainment being just a hobby is a myth.

I have attended your Live recordings and I have never seen any second takes or retakes. For longer sets, how do you remember your material? Do you rehearse before you record your shows?

If a story is captivating, you will remember the details…

In the many years you have been performing, have you ever just blanked on stage? What did you do, Did you walk off?

When you’re not performing, do the people around you expect you to be funny 24/7 because of what you do for a living?

Part of your work as a storyteller is telling uncomfortable truths and revealing concealed matters. Considering how dangerous some of this stuff and people are, do you worry about any unintended consequences from what you are trying to accomplish?

Being famous in Kenya and even around the world comes with huge expectations and a lot of pressure. People expect you to have everything figured out and will crucify you if you are not ‘perfect’. How do you cope up with this pressure, especially in protecting your personal life?

Sharing my personal life stories has helped in easing down the pressure as people are able to look at me as any other human.

I have just counted the number of stories you’ve told on YouTube and by the time I am writing this, it is at 119. Do you worry that you will run out of stories to tell? What do you do to generate new ideas if you’re struggling to come up with new material?

What’s your most embarrassing moment on stage/set?

Pregnant or not pregnant? I couldn’t tell…

You possess a unique ability expressed by how you are able to tell a story better than journalists, historians and even writers. Have you ever thought of partnering with either the Ministry of Education or that of Culture and Heritage to recapture our history in your storytelling and make it easier for the next generation to relive it?

Filmmaking is not a baby’s play. It is a laborious job and it attracts fat budgets. Do you think the Kenyan film industry is growing? What’s holding us back and what needs to be done to get closer to Hollywood, or even Nollywood?

#GLLFilm is going to revolutionize the Kenyan film industry.

Your new #GLLfilm is dropping soon. What is the storyline and how can we be part of making it a success?

  Behind the scenes of the Upcoming #GLLFilm:

What do you think about when you’re alone in your car?

Is it true that comedians offstage are generally loners and fairly quiet?

JayZ and Beyonce are just an example of a couple that worked together to build an empire. In less than three words, how has Judy (your wife) been influential in making you successful?

“Judy is My True North…she is actually the Captain, I am just the vessel”…

Abel Mutua is the co-founder of Media company Philit Production. He is an actor, Screenwriter and StoryTeller.

Get more of his Juice on:

Youtube: Abel Mutua

Instagram: @AbelMutua

Facebook: ScreenWriter Abel Mutua

Twitter: @MutuaAbel