Comedian Mark Kariahua cracked his audience’s ribs at a fully-packed The Village recently when he hosted his comedy show titled Ovihambarere (Folk Tales), which dived into the holy fire, therapy, societal issues like depression, and the overall impact of Covid-19. “The pandemic made people do things they usually don’t do. I thought it would be cool to try out something new, and I sort of got into a relationship with a white woman. Some things are cool on paper, but the execution is another thing,” he joked. Kariahua addressed the impact of colourism in society and the myths around black people seeking therapy. “Interracial dating is interesting. It’s a weird link, and for obvious reasons – you will feel the usual racial remarks, and I felt that. People see an interracial couple and they say, “you will have cute chocolate babies with curly hair – light-skinned babies. You have people who think being light-skinned is an accomplishment, and it’s really not,” he kidded. His 45-minute set was engaging and humorous, something that you hardly see in comedy shows. Comics Zitta and Axarob opened Ovihambarere, which is Kariahua’s third solo comedy offering. Photos: Paheja Siririka