What started as a three buddy inspiration in a car, has turned into a global trend
Hey, have you heard this one? Three Australians are cracking wisdoms in a car about the ins and outs of what Greek and Italian (tell me about it) family life brings, inspired by the multiculturalism and passion of their own-topsy turvy- experience. A few years and 42 countries later they are a stand up social media phenomenon, filling up venues in dozens of cities, as millions identify with their brand of satire and the truly topical nature of their viral message.
I am not an artsy journalist (have huge respect for it), I was and always will be a hard news man, Middle East, geopols and so on. But Sooshi Mango-a name with a massively brilliant story behind it- and their scetches caught my eye and what I really want to say about how we must protect the true value of the term family, as engaged with empathy, solidarity and humanity-not in the way it is abused to shoot down other ways of living and sharing.
So when asked to interview the three protagonists, Joe, Carlo and Andrew, I realised that they actually have something meaningful to carry over, anywhere they might travel. In this day and age, that is a rarity that even Diogenes-the stoic philosopher with the famous image of the lantern, as the symbolism goes-is struggling to discover.
Don’t miss these musical stand up comedy personalities at the Strovolos Municipal Theatre on Tuesday October 20th, at 2000. They are one of a kind. And they have a film coming out too.
Sooshi Mango? What does that mean, does it have a logic or background, where does it come from? Is it part of any philosophy you might have in projecting your act, a social meaning?
Joe Salanitri: Not really! Funnily enough, my son was actually sitting on the toilet when he was around 3 years old, and just started yelling out “Sooshi Mango, Sooshi Mango”. It was around the time we were trying to figure out a name for what we were doing, and we liked the ring of “Sooshi Mango”. It just worked, and it stuck!
Carlo Salanitri: It all started in a car. I’d love to know more about that. There must be quite the story there. We were just some friends who loved being around each other and constantly making each other laugh. There was no grand idea, it just happened! We filmed that first video in the car, and just continued from there.
How did u three decide to quit your day jobs and take it all the way?
Andrew Manfre: It was a gradual thing that we slowly decided on. Joe was the first to step away from his 9 to 5, and Andrew and Carlo followed not long after.
You are obviously accomplished musicians as well, hence musical comedy. Did u expect the degree of all this success?
Joe Salanitri: A global phenomenon no less. I actually came from a musical background, singing in a wedding band! But to be honest, our musical ventures have just come about naturally. We’ve had a lot of fun with our musical ventures, and hope to create more in future.
How do you find the cultural and social aspect of all this travelling? Does it also provide ideas or material for your act?
Carlo Salanitri: We honestly find that no matter where we go in the world, our content can resonate with someone, somewhere. I think we’re all a lot more similar than we think, and it’s a great thing. We feel really blessed to be able to share our humour all around the world, and we hope to continue doing so.
What does family mean to you? Why is it always the source of so many different emotions and comical situations?
Andrew Manfre: Family is everything to us. Our families are quite obviously a huge inspiration for a lot of our content, and we’re lucky to be able to share that love with our followers.
You do know that Cypriots love Australians. There is a large Cypriot as well as Greek community in Australia, who never forget their roots. Do you know of them and does this Australian multiculturalism inspire you?
Joe Salanitri: Absolutely! There is a large Cypriot and Greek community in Australia, particularly in Melbourne where we’re based. Their culture, and particularly their food is heavily loved across Australia.
Carlo Salanitri: Next steps on the way to new heights. We are currently embarking on our first feature film which is really exciting. Keep your eyes out for more sneak peaks!
