Dolino has always had a sense of the comic. In Congo, where he lived until the age of six or seven, his humor gave him “freebies to mix with older children. I was untouchable because I was the comedian,” says the 32-year-old comedian, who will give a show on February 10 at the Afromusée, as part of Black History Month. In Cuba, where he later lived, humor was omnipresent. Arriving in Quebec, where he has lived for around fifteen years, Dolino, whose real name is Dolviran Mpassi Mpandzou, adapts his remarks to his audience.
Through his sketches, he addresses crucial social issues, such as the environment and social inequities. “I approach these questions, but it is always with humor. We relax, we laugh, it’s not heavy, he assures us. Even though the topics can be heavy, we allow ourselves to relax. And after the show, it makes you think. »
He cannot avoid the theme of racism. But it is also a very broad theme. He approaches his sketch on travel by saying, for example, that he is replacing at short notice two Congolese who had their visas refused to participate in the event.
Making humor in Quebec
“I can’t miss raising awareness, sharing this reality that many people ignore,” he says. After performing his shows all over the world, Dolino notes that there is a certain sensitivity in Quebec towards humor. While in France or Cuba, we can make fun more directly without causing shock, here it can be perceived as intimidation. Also, we must take the time to observe the customs in the host society, which Dolino had plenty of time to do, he who also recounts in his sketches a stay at school where he was the only Black, with his brother. Dolino notably emerged in humor through the Bad Boys of Laughter, these evenings organized by Renzel Dashington which gave pride of place to comedians of diversity.
This year Dolino is part of the programming of the Fondu au Noir festival, which also includes, in particular, a music show by Rebecca Jean, the screening of short films from the Being Black in Canada project, from the Fabienne Colas Foundation, and several big interviews.
Bob Marley’s inspiration
Black History Month allows us to reveal little-known aspects of Montreal’s history, such as the passage through the city in 1917 of Marcus Garvey, a Pan-Africanist of Jamaican origin, founder of the UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League). The song was inspired by a speech by Marcus Garvey in Nova Scotia in 1937. Redemption Songby Bob Marley, which tells the story of a slave who fights to gain physical and mental freedom.
It was following Marcus Garvey’s visit to Montreal that the Montreal section of the UNIA was created, which still exists today, in Little Burgundy. The objectives of the UNIA were, and still are, to advance the cultural and social interests of the black community of Quebec, to promote pride, collaboration and respect between all races, and to encourage their participation in the social life.
It is in the UNIA premises that an exhibition is being presented this year featuring four painters from the black community and a virtual reality experience highlighting Marcus Garvey’s visit to Montreal. Under the theme When Big Man Talk, the exhibition features works by Garfield Morgan, Daniel Saintiche, Anthony McLennon and Quentin VerCetty. We will also present photographic archives testifying to the life and history of Montreal’s black community.
Black History Month offers an array of activities. Let us mention QC History X: slavery and the Afro-Quebec experiencea meeting with rapper Webster, alias Aly Ndiaye, who delves into the history of slavery and the Afro-descendant presence in Quebec, and The color challengean online experience to “discover the emotional charge of black people through stories of resilience”.
To consult the program: moishistoiredesnoirs.com