Nigeria’s entertainment industry is a fledging sector that consists of actors, singers, comedians, model, fashion designers, DJs etc.
In fact, it has been adjudged as one of the rising money-spinning ventures, considering the enormous financial resources being invested daily into the sector.
Notably, this comedy aspect of the glamorous entertainment industry parades men and even women with impeccable character, thorough-bred comic acts whose job, most of the time, is to reel out jokes intended to teach wisdom, morals, entertain and bring joy and laughters into the hearts of their listening or viewing audience.
??Worthy of mentioning are two notable personalities who have contributed, to a large extent, to the growth of the industry, Akpoborie Halleluyah Atoyota a.k.a. Ali Baba and Bright Onyekwere Okpocha popularly referred to as Basketmouth. The two are currently in a battle for supremacy. The former is self-acclaimed ‘King of Comedy’ while the later proclaims himself to be undaunted ‘African King of Comedy’, his forthcoming show tagged ‘African Kings of Comedy’ is a pointer to this.
Ordinarily, a show of that magnanimity is expected to feature the acclaimed king of comedy, Ali Baba, who reigns supreme in Nigeria as grandfather of the undisputable present day/ new generation comedy, but to the dismay of industry watchers and stakeholders, his name, is conspicuously missing from the list of comedians billed to perform at the Trace TV/Basketmouth packaged event on 26th of May, 2012 at Expo Hall, Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The Access Bank sponsored most-hyped event is said to be the most expensive comedy show ever recorded in this part of the world as regular ticket goes for N10,000. Tongues, however, are already wagging why the name of Ali Baba is erased from the A-list comedians.
Miffed by this on-going scenario, effort was made to speak with some of the humourists who are well-informed about the goings in the industry and it was discovered that the alleged imbroglio between the two giant comedians does not hold any ground as Basket is Ali Baba’s boy anyday. Some people are of the opinion that all seems not to be well between the dons who have injected glamour and panache into the business of comedy due to the no love lost relationship that exists between them…
Ali Baba, we also gathered, is over-hyped and this, according to the research, has not been too favourable in terms of getting shows regularly; people who wish to engage him for their events are always thinking about how his service fee would make them bankrupt.
This, we learnt, has greatly reduced the number of events he gets; though another comedian cum broadcaster said, what Ali Baba has done for is a niche anyone in the industry would love to carve for himself.
Be that as it may, Basketmouth, no doubt, in the past years, have recorded an unprecedented success, this automatically has shot him to the cadre of international comedians as he has won amongst others, number two Comedian in Africa, obviously the best in Nigeria.
The question now is, who really is the King of Comedy? Ali Baba or Basketmouth?
Comments welcome!.
