‘I almost gave up being a comedian’

Weekend Magazine: How and when did you decide to pursue stand-up comedy as a career? AY: It isn’t something I started on from way back. Some people will tell you stuff like ‘I started cracking jokes in my mother’s womb’ and all that, but in my own case, it wasn’t like that. I have always […]

Weekend Magazine: How and when did you decide to pursue stand-up comedy as a career?

AY: It isn’t something I started on from way back. Some people will tell you stuff like ‘I started cracking jokes in my mother’s womb’ and all that, but in my own case, it wasn’t like that. I have always been an event-planner. I was once a promoter and doing all of that, I had the privilege of inviting ace comedian Ali Baba to one of my comedy shows in Delta State University and he was impressed with the way the show was packaged and he invited me to Lagos to be his Personal Assistant. Working with him, following him around, and seeing how he makes people happy, I said to myself, ‘I think I could start from here’.

Working with a legend like Ali Baba actually gave me insight into the art of comedy and I looked at myself, being that I’m a Theatre Arts graduate and comedy is all about make-believe, and I decided to take the plunge. Comedy is all about standing on stage and acting.

WM: But in other quarters, it’s said you gained fame through Rev. Chris Okotie. What’s the deal with that?

AY: To say I achieved fame through Okotie wouldn’t be farfetched. When I came in, I came with my own style and brand. But then I noticed that Okotie speaks good grammar and I decided on my own to do some things around his grammatical expressions. So I started doing jokes around there and people started coming along to connect with that fact. A lot of people, when they want to describe me, say ‘that guy who always talks about Chris Okotie.’

I even met him two years after I got involved in comedy and he admitted that he has been hearing of one AY who lampoons him. His church members invited me as a surprise for him and the man of God almost laughed out his heart out, even to the point of tears. He then asked, ‘where did you people get this boy from’? He was really impressed and has since become my friend, brother and father. I actually got married in his church, as well.

WM: How did you come about the AY persona?

AY: When you want to go into an industry, you will begin to think of the different means that you will want to deliver, so I started coming up with all sorts of names, like AY The Entertainer, AY The Joker, and so on. I was just trying to think of something and then immediately, it dawned on me that the Yorubas have ways of abbreviating names and anyone who bears Ayo in is known to be AY. So I said everybody around me is already calling me AY, so why not take that on as my stage-name?

WM: Beside comedy, do you practice other types of showbiz?

AY: As entertainers, we are content-providers for TV, radio, newspapers, etc. Then we also handle events. And I am into acting, in a way as I do appear in some home videos.

WM: Nigerian stand-up comedy is big business. Do you think it can get bigger?

AY: Comedy is getting bigger, especially in this part of the world. I mean, at every event, you must see a comedian cheering everyone up, even doing stand-up comedy. So, it’s a growing business.

WM: Growing up and seeing the kind of entertainment then, compared to what we have now, have you thought of infusing some ‘classic’ components to the present?

AY: In a lot of my skits, you can see me comparing musicians of the past to those of the present who are doing well. I have done a good number of them and I am still going to do more because the only way that makes the present solid is when you acquire some level of direction in your work.

WM: What would you say sets you apart from other comedians?

AY: I believe that because I’m from a Theater Arts background, you will see the comic in me you will know that I’m from a particular background. That, I think, sets me apart.

WM: What has been the most challenging moment in your career?

AY: Because I started as a promoter, paying money to comedians to do shows for me, it was challenging for them to see me perform on stage.  It was difficult for me. It was also difficult for the audience to digest, but when I started getting it right, everything went well.

WM: During these challenging moments did the thought of quitting ever cross your mind?

AY: The thought of quitting did come, but not from the audience. It was due to a particular experience I had at Motherland where Lagbaja use to do his monthly shows. I was introduced one day and people were expecting to see one of the famous comedians, but they didn’t connect with me because I was relatively unknown then. It got so bad that someone even said ‘take this guy off the stage, who the hell is he?’ They didn’t even give me a moment to perform. That affected me seriously. I remember driving home that night, close to tears, and I asked myself, ‘what did I do wrong’?

After that fiasco, I said to myself I will just forget about comedy and dust my certificate so I can go secure a better job rather than standing in front of people who will not even appreciate my craft. But as I told Ali Baba my experience, we laughed over it. He said he would take me back to the same place to introduce me personally to the crowd, and so he did. That night, after he introduced me, the audience laughed and laughed and I felt fulfilled. That gave me the way into comedy business proper.

WM: Nigerian comedians get fat pay-checks. What do you charge to MC an event or make an appearance?

AY: It all depends on what I am working for. I charge the kind of money that will be able to take care of my wife, daughter and I, as well as my staff.

WM: How long have you been married, and what will you say marriage has changed about you?

AY: Marriage has defined me by rearranging my position and status as a married man. When you are married, you tend to be gentler. I must say marriage has done that to me, even earning me more respect because when you enter a show you will go in with your wife and people will pass that respect they have for you to her. It has even taken my business forward.

WM: Can you recall any embarrassing moment any female fan has caused you?

AY: I am not that kind of comedian who gets the ladies excited. I am just a regular guy, so the best they do is to maybe take pictures with me. But they see me as a defined character, they always see the line, they don’t even try crossing it.

WM: How did you meet your wife?

AY: We met in Delta State University. I use to organize campus beauty pageants and after graduation, when I wanted to go into the business fully, I came across her but she turned me down, saying she wasn’t in school for beauty pageants. I didn’t find it funny. She was in her first year then, so whenever I am on campus, I would still see and I kept disturbing her. She ‘posted’ for 3 years until it dawned on her that I’m her man. And here we are today, married and blessed with a lovely child.