Joao Seabra is a man of the North. Since Braga for the rest of the country, he tells jokes about the idiosyncrasies of the Portuguese people with his unmistakable accent. Embarked on a remarkable career that started professionally in 1993 and makes him laugh just to recall it.
How is the life of a comedian in Portugal?
Joao Seabra: I cannot complain, it is not something from another world, have gone well, in Portugal there are many things to do humor and it is well here, the Portuguese like to laugh and want to laugh, there is relation between public and humor.
You are very associated with the North, the content of the jokes, the accent has always been deliberate?
JS: Yeah, when I always said in the opening of my act, I came from Braga! Marks the place I came from and sometimes even exaggerated the accent of the North. But that is something I'm proud, despite Portugal being tiny, has a great diversity, many accents, many ways to be and I am very proud to represent a particular area and I do not mind when people associate me with Braga, or the North.
This does not restrict the style?
JS: No, no way. So much so that I was invited to act in Madeira and do shows all over the country. From the North to the Algarve. It is a matter of having an accent, but does not restrict.
Is there a taboo subject in your jokes?
JS: I do not like talking about religion and issues related to pedophilia.
But it's a personal choice or you think you will face a negative public reaction?
JS: I think they are too delicate to be thoroughly addressed, because falls into the joke of bad taste, and I do not appreciate silly. What I like to do as a comedian is to make the public laugh and not to shock people. It is my personal vision, I do not like black humor. I feel that should be enjoyable for people to listen and not go into shock.
And the favorite subjects?
JS: It's the day-to-day lives. Of small gestures. Relations between man and woman. It is the everyday.
What do you think of comedy in Portugal is it recommended?There is a buzz about the "the last standing" is a genre that has sparked controversy.
JS: I think comedy has improved a lot in Portugal. In the last decade there has been a growth in quality and because of it has appeared several types of formats for different audiences, not only is the basic joke, or Portuguese magazine. The last standing is not a genre that we see in other countries. It is a new format. The jokes are not simple, it is to say, let's explore it like that and a lot of people will think is something, when it is not.
Do you think that television has contributed to this sense?
JS: At the expense of cable television and even the internet space has gotten much wider. When we had two channels, it was very difficult to get thru there because there was not room for everyone. Now there are channels that are betting on different programs for minority audiences and actually give voice to comedians who otherwise could not reach to that audience.
And the Internet?
JS: It is a fundamental instrument, because through youtube or other type of channel you can put online without ever having appeared on TV and if there is valid you end up reaching the television public. It is one of the most democratic medium for someone who wants to start, or even an artist who already has a long career and never before hit the major means of communication.
www.joaoseabra.com
