A loud, pained growl of a dog pierces the air as a crowd of revelers wind down their Sunday evening at Kisumu’s popular public beachfront, Hippo Point.
They turn their heads almost at the same time in response to the rather scary sound, only to be met by a cheeky smile from one Joseph Ochieng. Now that he has the crowd’s attention, he begins a series of stage performances. Joseph, 25, has perfected his art of street performance.
“Mimicry of animal sounds is my way of announcing my presence to an audience. It always gets their attention,” he says.
Joseph can perfectly imitate the cries of at least seven animals including birds, a goat, a dog, and a cat. That is his unique talent. The father of one has also incorporated acrobatics and contortion stints in his street performances as a way of earning a living.
His physical agility allows him to twist and bend his body in strange and unnatural positions, an act that always captivates the crowds.
At one of his performances at the beach, a shirtless Joseph, in black pants and black pair of boots, begins his routine by doing a 180-degree leg spread. He then brings his legs to a position just above his shoulder, cunningly using them as a headrest, holds for a few seconds before relaxing again. He performs a similar routine known as front bending where he puts his head between his knees, then effortlessly twists his head to face backward. At some point during the act, he breathes in so hard that one can see the outline of his rib cage.
A still silence reigns within the crowd as his breathtaking actions go on for about five minutes, although there is a gasp each time he twists his head or body awkwardly.
“I can almost always feel their hearts racing. The fear that I might get injured is always plastered on their faces. But that is the secret of street performance, get their attention and then impress them. That’s the way to earn,” he says.
Depending on the mood of the crowd, his stage acts could take up to 10 minutes, but he says that given the chance, he can deliver an hour of entertaining routine performances.
“I always do morning runs of at least 10 kilometres three times a week to keep fit and agile,” he says.
The contortionist says that over time, he has perfected his skills. He started show casing his extreme flexibility skills to his classmates when he was in Grade Four.
“I learned of my talent by chance and because fellow pupils seemed to enjoy my performances, I was always ready and excited to put up a show,” says Joseph.
Born and bred in Nyalenda slums in Kisumu, Joseph began by staging his shows within the estate, and the wowed audiences would reward him with cash. He used the money to help his mum pay for his school fees at Kassagam Primary.
His mother raised Joseph and his four siblings alone using the meager resources she earned working as a housekeeper. Joseph wasn’t able to proceed to high school due to lack of school fees.
During weekdays when social joints have low numbers, Joseph travels out of town to nearby counties to perform. He has so far been to over 10 counties.
He has also been to Nairobi to perform and audition in talent shows, hoping to get a bigger audience.
“The last audition I went to was the East Africa Got Talent search, but I was unsuccessful,” he recalls.
On a good day, the last born takes home Sh800.
“I have endured many challenges in my work. I have been manhandled and insulted, and some mistake me for a beggar. My friend who I used to perform with quit the job due to such challenges,” he says.
He notes that street performance is a huge industry in Europe and performers make lots of money from different acts such as dancing and singing. He says what has kept him going is the discipline he has and desire to see to it that his young family is comfortable.
”My daughter will soon join preschool courtesy of my street shows,” he proudly exclaims.
He hopes to one day perform on a bigger stage and turn around his life and that of his family.
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