When he strolls around, kids wave at him, people stare at him like he is a celebrity, calling him Weasel. He smiles and waves back, feeding off Weasel’s celebrity image and God’s unique creation.
He looks like Weasel to the dot; his facial expressions, his round-cat face and sharp yet shy stare, his squinting eyes and swaying dreadlocks. His swag and the limp when he walks and when he smiles, you want to think he is Douglas Mayanja (Weasel) of the Radio and Weasel fame. He is not, he is Valentino. Yes, Valentino; a name not even close to Weasel or Douglas.
Valentino is a dancer and an actor. He has worked on different projects from the famous Don’t Mess With Kansiime that starred the comedienne Anne Kansiime which aired on Citizen TV, Kenya. And Valentino is dancing his way up, acting to his dreams.
People mistake him for Pallaso, too. He says he has no problem with it. Actually, he enjoys all the fictitious, fleeting fame that comes with being Weasel or Pallaso’s doppelganger. Only that he has neither been in or left Team No Sleep, or contemplating to yank off the Radio and Weasel singing duo. He is Valentino; calm, composed and big dreamer. The Weasel lookalike is in shape to change Uganda’s dancing industry (if there is any). He dances those tedious contemporary dances, salsa and the likes.
Has he ever been questioned for stealing someone’s looks? Perhaps. He laughs it off and shouts, “Weasel Manizo!,” jokingly, smacking his chest like he is King Kong, like he is Weasel.
Who knows, this could be one of Mayanja’s unknown siblings.
Staff Writer
