Comedians laughing all the way to the bank
Days
are long gone when the comedy profession was seen as a job meant for
the never do wells. As it is at the moment, while so many people are
cracking their ribs, laughing at their jokes, these men (and women)
laugh all the way to the bank. They count their money in millions and
are getting more and more recognition. Now, they even export their jokes
and profession outside Nigeria hosting major events. To them, what they
do is no longer a joke but serious business. Saturday Beats looks at some of these comedians.
Basketmouth
Ever since Bright ‘Basketmouth’ Okpocha
came into limelight over a decade ago, this comedian has been
trailblazing the industry. Although he thought he would make it as a
musician, God had something else in store for him. In 1991, he
discovered his skills in drumming, which he did for over five years.
During his days as an instrumentalist for his church and a band at a
point, he also discovered his skills in rap music and later diverted
into that path in 1994. In 1995, he, his friends and brother formed a
group called Da Psychopaths. It had seven members but they split before
they could even release an album or a single. Now he is a
celebrated
comedian. He has a highly anticipated show scheduled for the UK. It is
reported that a bank has thrown its weight behind him by sponsoring his
comedy tour with N30m. The show is to hold this month in Manchester,
Birmingham and London respectively.
AY
Whenever Ayo Makun holds his annual AY
Live Show, it is usually a sell out. The comedian is a brand ambassador
to various products. He is also an active media person with several
television shows and a television channel on YouTube which was ranked as
the number one most watched in Africa. Although many would argue that
he is not the funniest of all comedians in the country, what he lacks in
stand-up comedy, he doubles it in his comedy skit. His comic skits are
known to be aimed at current controversies and controversial
personalities and have often times put him at loggerheads with subjects
of the skit. He recently settled a misunderstanding he had with his
friend and actor, Jim Iyke. No matter what, AY is sure making his money.
Gbenga Adeyinka
The brand Gbenga Adeyinka is synonymous
with Star Lager beer. For over six years, the chubby dark-skinned
comedian has been contracted to host events by the premium lager beer.
Be it Star Trek, Star Game Show and the recent Lagos Countdown organised
by the alcoholic beverage, the comedian has every reason to smile,
courtesy of Nigerian Breweries. Also, when it comes to major events, top
weddings and awards, Gbenga does such effortlessly. Gbenga would
certainly relish 2013 as he hosted so many high society weddings. While
the bride and groom beamed with smiles over their union, the comedian
beamed with smiles over his pay cheque.
Julius Agwu
Although he is into music, the comic
merchant is known for his dexterity when it comes to putting smiles on
peoples’ faces. Grateful for his life, De Genius as he is often referred
to, had to fend for himself by hawking pap at the age of six. But his
humble beginning didn’t deter him from turning out to be a mega star
today. His franchise, Crack Ya Ribs, has been a success over the years
and has toured various states in the country. The show is not only known
in the country, he has successfully hosted the show in London. The last
edition was well attended by Nigerian celebrities and top politicians.
He was spotted at the recently concluded Grammy Award ceremony.
Helen Paul
Helen Paul is not just a comedienne but
also an On Air Personality. Currently, she leads the pack of Nigerian
comediennes. She has a dual personality on stage and this works to her
advantage as she easily switches from Helen Paul to her alter ego,
Tataafo. The fair-complexioned comedienne is also a top choice when it
comes to government events. Just last year, she hosted an event that was
attended by the First Lady of the country and succeeded in making the
mother of the nation laugh. While the Dame was laughing, Helen Paul knew
after the show, it would be her turn to smile as she counted her money.
Seyi Law
Probably the youngest on the list in the
profession, the dark-skinned humour peddler has had a good run with
comedy. Prior to his fame which he got on AY’s platform, Seyi Law was
relatively unknown. At a point in his life, he had to hawk sachet water
and recharge cards at parks to earn a living. Today, all is history as
he has been able to build a multi-million naira mansion at Ikorodu
through comedy. He also recently launched an event centre and lounge
also in Ikorodu. With this, he hopes his laughter would be louder to the
bank this year.
