You can easily tell comedian Chelo Chelo apart from the other comedians who are blowing up Haitian-American social media and beyond. For one thing, there’s the straw hat he sports in every skit, and then there’s the pointy, uncombed beard. Most importantly of all, there’s his emphasis on the use of Creole. He adopts the persona of a Haitian man who’s made it to the United States of America, but who didn’t quite live Haiti behind. In one of his comedy skits, he scolds his son who asks for pie at a Wendy’s Drive-thru. He mistakenly takes the word “pie” for the word “straw” in Creole, which are more or less pronounced the same.
In another skit, Chelo Chelo sees an attractive young woman sauntering by his driveway. He tries to sweet-talk her, and shoves his daughter out of the way to hide evidence of an existing relationship that he has. But his daughter outs his deceit.
Most recently, the comedian has been making buzz with his What If ____was Haitian series, in which he re-imagines pop culture moments and figures with in Creole. The comedian launched the series in collaboration with JBPro, a film production company, and he occasionally collaborates with other comedians with Haitian roots.
Now, let’s get to know Chelo Chelo…
Kreyolicious: How did the name Chelo originate?
Chelo is actually part of my real name.
Kreyolicious: Tell us about yourself and how you came to be a comedian?
I come from a family that’s full of talents. My dad [is] a writer. My uncle Azor is a famous singer. All my uncles are comedians. So, it was just something I picked up from family.
Kreyolicious: Do you count your parents and family members among your biggest fans? Do they come to your shows?
My dad just accept my comedy. [Laughter] My mom been supporting me since I started. My dad performed with me once. My mom hasn’t been to my shows yet.
Kreyolicious: Which comedians do you look up to? Why?
I look up to a few different comedian. Such as, Bernie Mac, Dave Chappelle, Eddie Murphy, Languichatte, Zabelbok.
Kreyolicious: Where do you get the inspiration for your video skits?
Inspiration can come from anywhere. It all depends on my surroundings, and what am doing.
Kreyolicious: What are some of the best moments and things you have enjoyed since becoming a comedian?
I enjoyed my first tour.
Kreyolicious: Where do you want to take this comedy thing?
I wanna take it to places it has never been before.
CLICK HERE to visit Chelo Chelo’s Youtube channel.
CLICK HERE to read about other comedians.
