BABY GOAT ARRIVES WITH A BAA-NG!

Name: Jesse Singh. My actual ‘government name’ is Jasjivan Singh, Jesse is what most of my family and friends call me, so I just decided to stick with that. Jasjivan means one who loves life. In Punjabi, it refers to the notion of embracing one’s life with love in all its capacity, the hardships, the turmoil, the joy, to journey through each aspect with love.

Recently: I released my debut comedy album Baby Goat. The name derived from the idea that I am caught in between two generations of artistes. Goat refers to “greatest of all time”. Baby Goat comes from the idea that many of the newer comics saw me as the new headliner on the scene who was quickly making a name for himself. In the same breath, I was friends with many of the seasoned vets. In addition, since I was also in the early stages of my “success” I was given the name Baby Goat.  

Favourite colour: I love green, no specific shade. Maybe like the colour of grass.  

Favourite outfit: Doesn’t really matter I wear, whatever I think looks nice. I like sneakers like Nikes, Jordans, mostly because we couldn’t afford them growing up and everyone had them. When I got older and finally had some money to spend, I liked buying shoes but nothing too crazy.

Favourite Bollywood star: Aamir Khan. I am drawn to films that have substance. I don’t mind action movies now and again but I am more intrigued by a story and things outside the box. That’s why I love Aamir Khan, I find many of his movies have a uniqueness to them.

Favourite Hollywood stars: Adam Sandler and Jim Carrey. I grew up watching their movies as a kid and till this day I could revisit many of their films and still laugh and connect with their characters.  

Favourite movies: 3 idiots. I have probably seen this movie over 20 times and even now I will still laugh and feel emotional at the same scenes. Honourable mentions include Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, John Q. and Training Day. I also loved Gangubai and Taare Zameen Par.

Favourite song: Difficult to choose one but if I had to then probably Redemption by Bob Marley.

Favourite TV shows: Top Boy, The Wire, The Bear.   

Favourite ice cream flavour: I love any kind of ice cream. But if I had to choose just one then I would go with a classic mango. 

Favourite cuisines: I love Indian food and my second pick is Thai. Because it is the one type of food I can’t replicate or cook the same way. I know how to make a few Indian dishes such as chicken sabji, keema, channa, but Thai food I can’t replicate.  

 Favourite sports: I was never a big sports guy to be honest, but I always loved watching UFC and MMA. Recently I also started taking Muay Thai because I love the art of fighting and being able to know how to defend yourself if needed. It creates self-discipline and confidence. 

Favourite sportspersons: Muhammad Ali, not just for his athletic ability but for what he stood for outside the ring. He stayed completely true to himself and did not waver from his values even when the world was trying to make him.

Favourite book: I love The Prophet by Khalil Gibran. It is a collection of passages and anecdotes for life. I find myself going back to it and learning something new each time I read it.  

Favourite activities: Aside from performing stand up comedy, I like spending time in nature, going on walks (in nice weather). I love trying new recipes.  

I hang out: With my girlfriend when I can. She moved about an hour away and due to our conflicting work schedules, it becomes difficult to see each other sometimes but we try to make the most out of the time we do have. I am not big on going out to clubs or restaurants, but I  love travelling and exploring new places.  

I’m freaked out by:  The fear of regret and not living a life that is authentic to who I am. Sometimes it is necessary to make sacrifices for those you love but it is just as important to lead a life that is truthful to you. I am afraid of not living up to my greatest potential within this lifetime.  

I need: A small circle of people I love to be in my corner. Time to decompress after being around people all the time. My privacy and solitude. A space to be quiet and to rest my head.  

I want to be: A touring professional comedian. Not on a grand scale like Kapil or Dave Chappelle, but big enough where I can keep my sanity and private life while still being able to live comfortably. I want to be able to support my family, my wife and my kids if we ever have them through doing what I love to do.  

My role models: My mother. She was a single mother who came here with close to nothing, worked tirelessly and sacrificed so much. She hated the idea of me doing comedy and tried to direct me into the more traditional route because she wanted me to find stability in my life. Comedy is completely unpredictable and I think that was scary to her. But now that things are starting to come into fruition she is beginning to see that it is indeed possible. And my older brother, because he took on a lot of responsibility at a young age to be a provider and support system when my parents separated. As a child, it was a blessing having him and my uncle as positive male figures in my life. They made sure I did not lose my way and I stayed on a straight path. I don’t hold any anger toward my dad, I love him, but he wasn’t there in a father figure role because he was dealing with a lot of pain himself.  

Tips to save the planet: Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji wrote in Japji Sahib, Man Jeete Jag Jeet, which means “conquer the mind and you conquer the world”. The only way to heal the world is by looking inward. Greed has caused great suffering not only in the world but within relationships. Lust has done the same thing. Self reflection and liberation from our selfish desires will naturally allow us to be the very light we wish to see in the world. I also know that many people have been hurt by others and I am not ignorant about that. I have seen it in my own experiences but also while working at the youth shelter. Many young people have endured immense trauma from parents, friends, family, and loved ones. Even in these cases, I have seen people take that pain of theirs and choose to find a way through it from forgiveness, compassion, and courage. In doing so, they have guided other people who may have endured the same suffering, to a way out. 

In a perfect world: I see a place where we wouldn’t really need money anymore. There would be no place for value to be placed on paper bills or plastic; it would be a space where we can all live as a community within our respective nations. This also means bringing back the concept of trade and sharing goods/services. Before money, that’s all it was. I have this mango tree but I need a ladder to harvest 10 mangoes. I see you have a ladder, if you let me borrow the ladder we can share mangoes from this mango tree. Greed will not be completely eliminated but it would significantly reduce the amount of disparity that exists between rich and poor. There wouldn’t be a reason for people to be on the street because everyone would have something to offer. 

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