My parents were bitter when I started acting – Oga Bello

Weekend Magazine: Is it hereditary that there are Adebayos in the industry taking after you? Alhaji Adebayo Salami: Acting that is known to my family now is God’s design. I say this because I never knew my children will pick interest in acting because they all studied courses in university that are not related to […]

Weekend Magazine: Is it hereditary that there are Adebayos in the industry taking after you?
Alhaji Adebayo Salami: Acting that is known to my family now is God’s design. I say this because I never knew my children will pick interest in acting because they all studied courses in university that are not related to acting. I thought they would stick with these courses, but they’ve ended up acting. I never forced them to join my own line of profession because there has never been a time that I sat them down to tell them what to do. That is why I believe it was God’s design. On whether it is hereditary, although my parents never took up entertainment but I remember when I was growing up that my mother was an entertainer because it was impossible to sit with her for five minutes without her making you laugh. She had a good sense of humour. I believe we got that from her because she knows how to tell stories and she dramatizes her talks most of the time.

WM: Do you remember some of the colleagues you began with?
Salami: There are quite number of them like Samson Oluwole (aka Pa Jinadu), Mustapha Bakare (aka Baba Wande), Lere Paimo (aka Eda Onileola). When I was manager to Baba Mero, Eda Onileola was manager to Duro Lapdipo, while Baba Wande was manager to Oyin Adejobi. Those who I can mention are mostly in the Yoruba movie industry because it started long before the existence of other tribal movie industries and with that, I can say I am the most senior colleague of them all but I can remember one person in the English movie industry and that is Pete Edochie who was more or less a contemporary.

WM: What were your dreams, growing up?
Salami: When I started acting I only saw it as a passion, I never thought it would become my profession and as time went on, people began accepting me, stardom came and I decided to follow it as my career path. I also vowed to always give my audience the best movie that can stand the test of time and stay evergreen. Thank God I now have children who can immortalize my name.

WM: How easy was it for your parents to accept your line of profession when you started being somebody from Ilorin where Islamic education is most valued?
Salami: It wasn’t easy at all. No parent during our time wanted their children to go into acting because of the belief that it was something for dropouts and lazy people. They didn’t consider them as talents or having a passion unlike what obtains today with parents encouraging their children. My parents were bitter when I started. This made me run away from home to live with a friend in a church. My parents later came for me when they discovered I was living in a church and you how serious Ilorin people can be about religion. My grandmother told them to leave me alone because they didn’t know if it was destined for me. That was how they allowed me to continue.

WM: Which do you prefer, stage or screen?  
Salami: I must confess I prefer stage play because one performs before a live audience who are also participating as they watch. You enjoy their immediate feedback and reaction to the message you are passing. But in modern movie production, you hardly get your audience’s reaction. The applaud, comments and reactions you receive on stage is immediate and there is more discipline than on screen because stage play does not give room for repeat or correction.

WM: What has been your most challenging in the last 52 years?    
Salami: A lot starting from my parents’ refusal and so many others. But the truth is that once I succeed at whatever I am doing, I don’t like to look back to those dark days in my life because no matter what one decides to do in life, there is no way one will not encounter challenges.

WM: Which of your movies or roles has been the most challenging?
Salami: I want to let you know that every production has its own problem. I don’t see any role as a challenge because I have learnt, I know and I have the talent and experience to tackle and interpret my role properly. But my most challenge movie was when I produced ‘Omo Orukan’ (The Orphan) in 1987. I encountered a lot of challenges and almost stopped the production because of financial problem when I also travel abroad to do the post-production.

WM: Which movie shot you to limelight?
Salami: ‘Omo Orukan.’ But I was a known face before I produced the movie. In those days when we started, it was not movie that shot one to limelight but television programme. In 1974/75 we started a programme on NTA where I started appearing as Oga Bello in ‘Ojo Oladipo half hour’ which we later changed to a comedy trail airing on NTA channels.

WM: Kwara State University, Malete is in partnership with you and some other artistes, what is it all about?  
Salami: We are planning to put up a film village in Malete where the school is located.  I am a board member of the film village which is affiliated to the university and chairman, business committee.

WM: As elder in the Yoruba movie industry, what have you done to settle the crisis within the industry because there are rumors that the industry has been factionalized?
Salami: There are problems affecting us and taking us backward. ANTP has been there for long and some people are pulling us back because most of them don’t practice the profession, and don’t feel what we feel. We went to court which took us 12 years and we were tired of that. When most of us went in the name of Association of Nigerian Theatre Practitioners (ANTP) and wrote for assistance both in corporate or government establishments, this group of people would write petitions to block our chances. We then met and discussed a way forward and we decided to pull out of ANTP and form another association known as Theatre Arts & Movie Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN).

WM: Any plan to have an only Adebayo’s movie production?
Salami: No, that is not possible because I don’t produce three or five cast movie. To me it is rubbish. Only few a Adebayos act and these few cannot produce a movie. If we act, we need other crew members.

WM: What do you look out for in a script when you are invited to act in a movie?
Salami: I like a good script that makes sense. I look at the script first, the dialogue, location and who I am going to peer with. I also look at the director and director of photography.

WM: Do have the plan of adapting your stage plays for screen?
Salami: Yes, a lot of them have been adapted for screen already just like what is happening to some novels.

WM: Would you have done well the same way you are doing in Yoruba movie industry if you had been in the English movie industry?
Salami: There is no different in acting except the language. The same way I will interpret my role in Yoruba is how I will also do in English.

WM: How can you describe your relationship with other veterans from other parts of the country apart from the Yoruba artists?
Salami: We have a very cordial relationship. They accord me my respect and I reciprocate same. If I am invited by them I will honour their invitation and I can also do the same if I have any movie I will want them to feature in but I will always give priority to Yoruba movie than any other.

WM: How do you relax and how long do you stay in a location during the year?
Salami: How long I stay in a location depends on how busy I am and how many projects I have at hand but I must confess to you that I always take time to rest and once I discover I cannot continue with a particular production, I usually break and take my rest adequately.

WM: Which good book did you read last and how do you improve yourself?
Salami: I am not the reading type. I usually sit down, think and come up with my own concept anytime I want to produce movie. I look at what is going on in the society and write a story about it. I usually research whenever I come up with any particular concept. I improve myself through research. I am trying to put up two projects now. One is ‘Khaaki boys’ which has to do with the role of the military in Nigeria. The second is ‘Oyin’ (The importance of honey) for which I have started researching on through all means including the Holy Quran.