Exclusive
Interview with Mc Ebony
Comedy business in Nigeria today has
really taken a huge stand in the Entertainment Industry, there is no event
organized in Nigeria that won’t have comedians gracing the event, such as
Concert, Wedding just to mention a few. EazymediaTv caught up with one of
Nigeria’s finest comedian and had a one on one chat with him.
EM:
Hello sir, how are you and please introduce yourself
MC
EBONY: I’m good everything chilling as usual, the
name is Mc Ebony the Ngbopali master 1 of Bayelsa State, no doubt.
EM:
Can we know what your real names are and also know a little bit about yourself?
MC
EBONY: Alright, the names is Franklin that’s the
surname, Obote Paul all the way from Bayelsa State
EM:
Ok! Now let’s get a little deep into your family background, how many are you
in your family and what position are you in your family, and also tell us how
old you are
MC
EBONY: haan! That’s a tough question... I’m from a
polygamous home, my father has 2 wives, we are 17 children, I don’t know my
position but I know I’m part of them (general
laughter)... to be serious I’m the 9th child of the family, for
my age....I’m still living and I know I’ll keep living.
EM: Ok
we understand, so tell us, were you born in Lagos or Bayelsa?
MC
EBONY: I was born and brought up in Lagos; I’ve
only been to Bayelsa once, I won’t lie
EM:
Why if I may ask?
MC
EBONY: the whole of my family lives here in Lagos
EM:
Ok! What about your Educational background?
MC
EBONY: I attended Baptist Primary School Marine Beach
Apapa; I had my SSCE in Apapa High School, later after that I furthered to
Lagos State Polytechnic where I had HND in Accountancy.
EM:
Mmm! Accountancy you said, so why are you not found in a bank or any big
company in the country, why choose comedy?
MC
EBONY: I guess my talent is calling me that’s why
I’m not found in the bank, but I know I have to go to school so that I can be
in the game, what I mean by being in the game is that in Nigeria today if you
are not educated, you’ll be nowhere to be found.
EM:
Alright back to your comedy career, when did you start the journey?
MC
EBONY: If I say I know when my comedy start, I dey
lie be that, but I got to discover myself being funny. It all started when I
got into secondary school, I had a friend who was very funny, He happened to be
the Mc for an event he was called for, he called me to accompany him because he
felt he couldn’t do it alone, I was surprised knowing that he is a very funny
person and I made it known to him, he said being funny around your friends is
different from being funny in front of large audience, so when we got to the
event, everything went smoothly as I never expected it to be, then I knew I had
the talent in me, ever since then I’ve been standing my ground.
EM: This
time you are talking about, what year was this?
MC
EBONY: that was far back 1997, that was the first
time I ever cracked a joke anchoring an event which was a birthday party, that
wasn’t when I really discovered myself, it was later in the next year I got to
know what I had inside of me.
EM:
Ok! We’ve met some comedians in Nigeria, lots of them claim to come out from a
particular comedian which mentored them, mentors like AliBaba, Ay, Gbenga
Adeyinka the 1st, we want to know which root you belong to.
MC
EBONY: I’m a lone ranger... I don’t belong to any
root, but all these people are people I really admire and respect in the comedy
industry, talking about Gbenga Adeyinka, I’ve had conversation with him, he’s
really an inspiration, he inspired me, he talked to me letting me know the root
of comedy, he said to me ‘boy is you want
to go into comedy because of the money, then you are not ready for the
business, you must flare and passion for it’ that was the one on one
conversation we had. When you talk about comedians like AliBaba, Ay, Julius
Agwu my main mentor, these are senior colleagues I look from afar and say to
myself that yes, these people know exactly what it takes to be a comedian.
EM: Do
you feel threatened whenever you see other comedians on TV or meet them in any
event?
MC
EBONY: (laughs) The talent differs, couple of times
that I’ve met comedians, if it happens that we pair together in an event, I
find myself coming out different, so saying threatened, I can never ever be
threatened at all
EM:
Alright! What are the challenges you faced or facing presently?
MC
EBONY: first all, my challenges started from my
family, secondly Education where you have to face your education and also do
your thing, do you know I got carry over (general
laughter) I had an exam, and at the same time I had a show, and I had to
make a choice, but funny enough I chose to go for the show. But that God, I
scaled through it, so those were the challenges I had when growing up as a
comedian.
EM:
Apart from this comedy business, are there other businesses you do?
MC
EBONY: I’m still a practising Accountant, atleast I
can do debiting and crediting (general
laughter)
EM:
Ok! Which events in the country have you featured in?
MC
EBONY: I’ve featured in lot of event that I can’t
really remember, my comedy business has really taken me so far to the level of
working in a Radio station, really comedy is becoming something
different...presently I run a comedy program on Rainbow 94.1fm which is titled
‘UPGRADE with MC EBONY’ every Sunday between 2pm to 3pm. In Radio, comedy is a
different ball game, I discovered that comedy on radio is far different from
comedy in an event, maturity tells in comedy, you don’t open your mouth to
start saying anything all because you think you are funny. In Radio comedy you
must be mindful of what you say, not that in an event you won’t be mindful of
what you say, but on Radio it keeps you in a spot, for instance when running a
program and a caller calls in and yab you, you’ll be mindful of your reply, but
if it come to an event, (laughs) if
you yab me, meeeen me go yab you back (general
laughter)
EM:
they say behind every successful man, there is a woman behind, tell us about
your relationship, do you have any lucky woman in your life?
MC
EBONY: Yes I’m a proud husband and a loving father;
I cannot be shy saying that, I’m married with 2 wonderful children, a smart boy
and a beautiful daughter. I’m really of my family.
EM:
Wow that’s really lovely, ok being married with 2 kids, how do handle your
female fans?
MC
EBONY: First of all I must appreciate God for the
kind of wife I have, she is an understanding wife that know what it takes to be
a celebrity and what you go through with ladies as a celeb, but I’ve been able
to handle that part of my female fans, that’s the more reason I’m married, so
I’ve been able to handle my marriage life, my personal life and my female fans,
I’ve controlled it like Mikel Obi (laughs)
EM:
What’s your opinion about comedy business in Nigeria?
MC
EBONY: Comedy business in Nigeria is a serious
business, for instance there is no event held in any part of the country that
won’t have comedians, even when they have AGN (Actors Guild of Nigeria)
meetings, they invite comedians. Comedy has really grown in Nigeria, it’s a
brand itself, If I have the opportunity to personally speak with the
government, I’ll advise they set up a comedy department in the Universities
called ‘Faculty of comedy’ through comedy is not what you study, you have to be
naturally creative and funny, but you still need to be brushed up. Comedy has
really taken to a level that I can’t even imagine myself to be, it has made
dine with high class people in the country, so Comedy is not a child’s play
thing, it’s a serious business, I also learned a little from my father, he use
to be very funny in the old days, but he never made any money from it, so that
tells you the level comedy business has gone.
EM:
Ok, who do you think should be respect most in an event, Music Artistes or
Comedians?
MC
EBONY: Bros! Comedians should be more respected,
not because I’m a comedian, let me tell you why, do you know that a musician
will come out in 5 different concert and repeat the same song, and yet the fans
enjoys them. But as a comedian, you repeat same jokes in 2 event (we don hear am before o talk another thing)
that’s what you hear from the fans, so a comedian is always working, we are
always creative, we go about with our book and pen, we work with whatever we
see. Not that the musicians are not creative, but can’t be compare to a
comedian, so comedians should be respect most in an event.
EM: We
see lots of comedians coming out with audio Cd, what can you say about it?
MC
EBONY: I’ll say it’s a good thing and I love it,
that show the creativity in comedy, don’t be surprised to see my own audio Cd
in the market as well.
EM:
Alright, there so many young teenagers and youth who has the intension of
becoming comedians, what’s your advice to these young once?
MC
EBONY: Like I said earlier on, Gbenga Adeyinka told
me and I quote, If you want to go into comedy because of the money, then you
are not ready, you cannot wake up in the morning an make it as a comedian, the
road is very rough, as an upcoming comedian, you must learn how to endure, you
may be humiliated on stage, you might be snubbed, but you don’t give up, as an
upcoming comedian when I was growing, I was once stoned with sachet water, but
I didn’t give up, I guess that incident encouraged me the more to be more
creative. So to become a comedian you must be creative and hardworking, someone
told some time ago that in a day, write down atleast 2 to 3 jokes so that
anywhere you go, you release new jokes, when you do this, I believe the sky is
just your starting point and not the limit.
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