Despite losing his father at a tender age of 13, Mr Morris Ocen has not looked back at the tragedy that robbed him of a breadwinner.
At 21, Ocen has managed not only to put food on the table but also to provide school fees for five of his siblings through making jokes.
Ocen, a senior four drop out discovered his talent when he was in P7 at Pece P.7 School after losing his father, a soldier in 2008 during one of the fierce battles between the government forces and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels at the peak of the insurgency.
In an interview, Ocen, the second child of six siblings revealed that many of his friends started to call him a comedian and that forced him to discover why they call him a comedian.
After failing to join Advanced level in 2013 after scoring Division One from Sir Samuel Baker School, Gulu in the 2012 UCE exams, he started performing standup comedy and in return, charged little fees for his service.
On a good night, Banana Joe as he is commonly known can earn around between Shs100, 000- 250, 000.
He says the earnings double if he gets lucky to perform in two places in a single night.
Banana Joe says, “I started performing at night in local bars and hangouts joints.”
According to Ocen, the payment for his service would go into paying school fees for his sister who is in S4 and meeting other costs of living since his mother operates as a petty trader which he said can only afford to put food on the table.
The comedian says he later realized that he can also sing.
Since 2013, he has released five singles including ‘Lum ot pa Ada,’ a hit song that has gained popularity on local FM airwaves in Gulu, Kitgum and Lira.
In his song, he encourages young children to give a helping hand to their grandparents without being persuaded.
He said he did that to support his widowed mom though it was a hard choice to leave school in order to support his family financially.
“At first my family was against me joining the show industry but after some time, they gave in.
He however says unlike music, few people appreciate comedy.
Banana Joe’s dream is to pursue a bachelor Degree in Music, Dance and Drama (MDD) either in South Africa or Nigeria in the future.
Mr Douglas Peter Okello, Gulu district speaker who is one of his fans and normally hires him to perform for his guests says, “He should not give up despite the hurdles. With time, he will have more people asking for his services.”
