Comedian Sugar Sammy on the Art of Laughter

The Mindspace Podcast: Inspiring Wellbeing

"I like going against the current. It’s a lonely place, but you have your own lane.”

In this episode of the Mindspace podcast, Dr. Joe speaks with Sugar Sammy, a comedian who has performed over 1700 shows in 32 countries in fluent English, French, Hindi, and Punjabi. He got his first break in 2011, when he started touring a bilingual show called You’re Gonna Rire across Montreal. In 2016, he started performing in France to critical acclaim. GQ France said that “the funniest man in France is a Quebecer.” He is now a judge on La France a un incroyable talent, the French version of America’s Got Talent.

Sugar Sammy is known to uniquely tailor his shows to the culture of the audience he’s performing for. He told Dr. Joe that he’s “making a show about you guys. I’m not making it about myself.” His style balances a deep understanding of another culture with mockery. The New York Times described him as a “fearless comic with a talent for provoking both laughter and outrage.”

Starting in September, Sugar Sammy begins his tour across Canada.

Joe and Sugar Sammy spoke about:

• The neighbourhood in Montreal that he grew up in and how it shaped his career
• How he develops his show from scratch for the country that he’s in
• How being an outsider helped his comedy career and life
• Diversity in Quebec
• The differences between Montreal and other Canadian cities, Quebec and France, and Canada and the US
• His confrontational style
• On social media backlash
• On staying sane in the entertainment industry

Connect with Sugar Sammy on his site, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Apple Music

Connect with Dr. Joe on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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