When Laffta Fest came to Abuja

Anchored by A-list comedian, Basketmouth, the event tagged ‘Invasion LOL’ under the ‘Glo Laffta Fest’ featured 16 international acts: four Americans, one South African, one Ugandan and ten Nigerians. ‘Bottom Belle’ crooner, Omawumi, fired the first salvo when she set the expansive Thisday Dome rocking. In an energetic performance spiced with her dexterous dance steps, […]

Anchored by A-list comedian, Basketmouth, the event tagged ‘Invasion LOL’ under the ‘Glo Laffta Fest’ featured 16 international acts: four Americans, one South African, one Ugandan and ten Nigerians.
‘Bottom Belle’ crooner, Omawumi, fired the first salvo when she set the expansive Thisday Dome rocking. In an energetic performance spiced with her dexterous dance steps, Omawumi’s  rendition of her hit track, ‘Adebisikonga’, drove the crowd into a frenzy.
Similarly, MI delivered a superlative performance just as Wande Coal was also at his sensational best as he got the huge crowd rocking to his ‘Bumper to Bumper’.
The duo of Peter and Paul Okoye of the PSquare lived up to their billing with famous songs like ‘Personally’ and ‘Alingo’.
In between the musical sessions and performances by the foreign comedians, the top Nigerian comedians on parade – Akpororo, Gordons, I Go Save, Buchi and Bovi  left the audience roaring with laughter non-stop as they wiped tears which poured down their cheeks uncontrollably.
Jos-born  Funny Bone, made efforts to diffuse tension from the security challenges in the country with his expressive jokes. Unimpressed by the first round of applause he got when he mounted the stage, Bone, who was wheeling a luggage, threatened to detonate the package if the crowd refused to applaud him.
With rib-cracking jokes American foursome, Robert Powell, Donnivan Jordan, Tony Roberts and Deray Davis reached easily to the audience as they highlighted some of the ills they had noticed in their few days in Nigeria like three people sitting on ‘okada’ as pointed out by Roberts.
It was also an opportunity for them to correct the misconceptions they had been fed in the US about Nigeria. Donnivan said he arrived Nigeria expecting to ride a camel. “But I was stunned when my hosts provided me a glittering Range Rover.”
The duo of Ndumiso Lindi from South Africa and Salvador from Uganda also sent the huge crowd reeling with laughter.  Salvador was the revelation of the night as he received standing ovation when he was leaving the stage. His clincher was his joke about a TV commercial he starred in when several takes got the characters drunk and messed up the shoot.
According to organizers, the show was put together as part of its tenth anniversary, although it has over the years been doing an annual comedy and music show called Laffta Fest.
Although the show was targeted at Glo subscribers, it was open to all who could make it there.
Ijeoma Nwabueze, a student of Geography, University of Ibadan, who attended the show, said it was the biggest and the richest for her.
“This show is the biggest and the most entertaining show I have ever watched. You know, I wasn’t too sure when I was invited to come. So my coming was basically to see what will happen and I thank God I did not miss the show.”
Banker  Adelaja Olugbenga  gave kudos to Globacom, “for this fantastic show. I really enjoyed myself”.
The show features in Owerri tomorrow as Enugu, Port Harcourt, Uyo, Calabar, Benin City, Abakaliki, Aba and Ibadan await their turns.
‘Glo Laffta Fest’ has been an annual event for several years now.