If you’ve been chronically online in recent years, then there’s a possibility that you have come across his posts or any content about him since fast-rising content creator, musician, and comedian Zeke Abella is astonishingly popular on social media, especially to his thousands and millions of followers across all his platforms.
Since he’s one of the most famous Bisaya out there and a really proud son of Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, many of his supporters had probably expected him to appear in an episode of the ABS-CBN Studios Bisaya online talk show “Kuan On One.” And it finally happened as he was the guest of our beloved host Melai Cantiveros in the latest episode released last August 19.
The pandemic may have stopped the world for quite some time, but it still went on to have a positive outcome for many of us. Just like what happened to Zeke, who rose to popularity on social media through his comedic videos, wherein he makes silly translations of random words and imparts amusing anecdotes that a lot of his followers find truly relatable.
According to Zeke, being playful and funny has always been part of his personality ever since he was still a kid, which he probably got from his parents, who both joke a lot. Besides, his gregarious maternal uncles had an influence on him, too, as he tends to listen to them talk whenever they go drinking, which never fails to make him laugh.
Just like many of us, he used to be scolded a lot when he was still a child, especially by his grandmother. But instead of sulking or feeling bad for himself during those instances, he turned those childhood experiences into something to laugh about. He’s also used to being the funny one in his barkada, as he loves to joke with them to make them happy every time they gather or go out together.
When quizzed by Kuantie Melai on which of his videos he thinks has best showcased his playful side online, Zeke said that it would be his jokey translation videos that he keeps doing because people apparently like it and love the good vibes that those bring. One of those was his first-ever video that went viral and even raked in a million views, wherein he translated the word “cake” to Tagalog, which made him realize that being funny on social media would work, especially during that time when dance videos were the craze on TikTok.
Regarding his content creation process, he imparted to Kuantie Melai (in Bisaya), “May skits kasi na ang format ay ‘yong kausap ko ang sarili ko [at] maraming natutuwa doon [na] kinakausap ko ang sarili ko...’Yong skit kasi, pinag-iisipan ko at nagsusulat talaga ako. Hindi ko na ginagawan ng script, gumagawa lang ako ng improv. Inaarte ko lang para natural.” Then he added, “Minsan nga, Kuantie, may mga content na pumapasok sa panaginip ko. Pagkagising ko isho-shoot ko agad. Ang weird talaga.”
Aside from getting a lot of views, Zeke shared that receiving comments or private messages from people telling him that his videos make them happy and relieve their exhaustion and stress from work has also made him realize that he’s indeed really famous. Besides, he has also received invitations to events and brand endorsements, for which he feels very blessed.
“Ang purpose ko naman sa content creation ay ‘yong makapag-post lang talaga. ‘Yong brand deals, bonus lang ‘yan. Kaya nagpapasalamat ako na may dumarating na ganyan. Aside sa nababayaran ka, masarap din sa pakiramdam na may nagtitiwalang brand sa’yo,” he related to Kuantie Melai in Bisaya.
While many social media users know him as a comedian, Zeke revealed that his dream is actually to become a singer and make songs, which he’s able to fulfill already. When asked who his top musical influences are, he mentioned OPM rock band IV of Spades, particularly its member Unique Salonga, and Arthur Nery, whom he hopes to collaborate with.
Comedy and music may be two different fields, but Zeke has never felt the need to choose between them nor any difficulty in shifting from one to another because they just come out naturally from him. Besides, he’s able to combine them in some of his videos, such as by making hilarious remixes of songs.
Kuantie Melai then asked him who his favorite comedian is, and he confessed that, jokes aside, it’s none other than her, which made the host truly shy. What he likes about her is that, apart from being a comedienne, she also possesses the so-called awareness, which, according to him, is the key ingredient why she and her punchlines appeal to Gen Zs like him.
Now that he can be considered a celebrity, it’s indeed inevitable for him to be bashed or to receive snide remarks from haters. And he opened up about his experiences on bashing and how he chooses to handle it.
“Mahirap talaga makatanggap ng bash. Honestly lang, maaapektuhan ka talaga. Kahit na sabihin mong ayaw mong maapektuhan, maaapektuhan ka talaga eh,” he stated. “Kahit na wala ka nang ibang inaalala, may papasok na tuloy sa isip mo. Pero the only thing siguro na i-handle ang bashers is hindi ko siya iha-handle pero babalikan ko ‘yong purpose ko, ano ba talaga ang gusto ko para magpatuloy ako.”
Zeke went on to confess that there are moments when he gets discouraged, but he just really goes back to his purpose and always prays. He's also grateful to have a strong support system in his friends and family, to whom he confides whenever he gets discouraged.
Although he’s not fond of reading comments on his posts, there were times when he came across rude remarks about him being funnier back then and being “laos” (or a has-been) already. Those indeed hurt him since he’s been doing his best to sustain his career and to create content even though it’s uncomfortable sometimes because he needs to get out of his comfort zone and show up despite feeling down, just like during the pandemic. But his desire to make people happy through his content refueled him to get back on track and continue moving forward.
Their lighthearted conversation concluded with Zeke imparting his “Ultimate Yawyaw,” or the greatest lesson he’s ever learned in life, which is that the journey to our dreams is not a linear path because it has a lot of ups and downs. He also went on to remind everyone to dream big and hold on to it no matter what happens, as well as that our purpose in doing something is more important than the money that we could gain from it.
And for his favorite Bisaya word? It’s “ngilngiga,” which translates to “terrifying” or “hair-raising” in English, because it truly resonates with him.
Watch out for the next popular Bisdak artists, influencers, content creators, or beauty queens who will appear in “Kuan on One,” as a new episode drops every Tuesday on ABS-CBN Entertainment YouTube channel and iWant.