By Henry Akubuiro
The name, Koffi Tha Guru, has been resonating on the Nigerian entertainment landscape for over two decades, right from his undergraduate days at the University of Lagos, when he started making money for himself as an amateur stand-up comedian. Born as Koffi Idowu-Nuel, he belongs to the generation of Nigerian artistes who explored the business side of the art, to great success. A man of many parts, he is also a musician, an actor and a corporate compere. In this interview with Saturday Sun, he goes back in time to how he set out as an entertainer and became part of the story of the group of stand-up comedians and musicians who changed Nigeria’s entertainment landscape forever.
Who inspired you as a comedian while learning the ropes?
I didn’t exactly follow any mentor. In my younger days, I would naturally goof around with my friends, and this developed into cracking jokes and, eventually, becoming a master of ceremonies at our little parties. This carried on into my teens, and I became a regular at neighborhood parties. By the time I took up admission to study at the University of Lagos, I had developed some level of confidence and took up anchoring departmental and faculty events regularly. I joined Theatre 15 in 1998 to train as a stage actor, and from there, got more opportunities to improve my craft in stand-up comedy.
How did your generation of comedians change the comedy landscape in Nigeria in the 2000s?
We had a huge bond and selfless approach to our act. We were willing to sacrifice and support one another. Almost everyone would turn up at each other’s events to lift the event, whether or not they were billed to perform. It was also a habit to bring others onboard once we noticed they were worth their weight. We also developed by recommending one another for jobs rather than keeping all to oneself. Most importantly, everyone came with originality and a need to add value. There was no competition but the intention to make an impact.
A major criticism of Nigerian stand-up comedy is its overreliance on ethnic stereotypes. How do you add creativity to your art?
Stand up comedy in itself is expressed in the local language for maximum impact. We cannot separate the reality of the story to the immediate audience. You need to speak in a way that your core target market must understand. However, in a global village as the world is today, one needs to expand their scope and reach. Try as you may, it usually has its limitations based on the earlier explained fundamentals.
To speak humour to a global audience, you must speak to subject matters that the entire world can relate to at that point in time: family, politics, current affairs, etcetera. A lot of these subject matters change so often that it is the most local subjects to you that keep you relevant except, of course, you want to focus specifically on an area that will be globally relevant at all times, for example, man and woman relationship issues. This can also be limiting.
Most Nigerians who are able to relate to jokes by American or European comedians do so because they have been thoroughly exposed to the western culture. For a Nigerian comedian to really dig into an American audience, he must speak to their culture first hand. Most times, when we travel abroad to entertain, we still cater to our local audience in the diaspora and, gradually, get a few converts who tag along and understand the lingo. I have, from the beginning of my career, understood these basics and worked my craft such that I can appeal to a variety of audiences, hence I prefer to deliver mostly in urban use of English rather than pidgin English. I also perform in Yoruba language, as well as use Togolese and French expressions. I chose early enough to expand the envelope through music and movies, because those vehicles are more universal and reach a wider audience.
What steps do you take before you hit the stage? How do you generate your ideas?
Research and self motivation is very key. Rehearsals and focus also help. I love to read and learn the subject matter before speaking on it. If I am not sure, I totally avoid the topic. Ideas come from all over – the environment, reading, watching movies, the news, having gist with people or by mere observation of situations when you are out and about. Sometimes people send you ideas that you further develop. For me, I go to different ends to get materials for stand-up comedy, music and movies. I write a lot, and this helps to continuously develop ideas.
The music and acting side of you seem to have been overshadowed by the comedian part of you, is that a sign you have unequal talent? Are you more of a comedian than a musician or an actor?
Strange to hear this perspective as some people also have a contrary opinion. Depends on where you are viewing it from. I just finished work on my 29th and 30th albums due for release in May and, recently, released the AROMA EP on March 11 to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of my biggest hit tune, AROMA. I have never stopped making music since 2003, but, as it is with music, the landscape and audience participation always changes.
My core fans still feed into the vibe, but the new audiences must also go with the young generation artistes. It is the natural way things go as regards music. In the area of acting, I have been busy producing new works since 2019 and just released 20 new movies on YouTube.
For me, it’s all about strategy and proper planning, not noise. I make more money as a corporate compere and social master of ceremonies than as an actor or singer, hence the need to focus on the area that brings inflow, then invest in the other areas. A lot of the music I make serves as soundtracks to my movies, some of which are on DSTV and international platforms. I have 25 movies till date, 30 albums, five soundtrack albums, two books, all produced without taking a loan.
Afrobeats is having a ball worldwide. Aren’t you thinking of reinventing your music to tap into the goldmine?
I have new songs in that swing. ‘Shake Body’ from my 2021 album, Grown Man Groove, and most recently, Aroma 2.0 featuring Obesere and Punchline. A lot of the songs I have recorded in the past four years carry the new feel, and one of the double albums due out ‘Area Boy Blues’ is loaded with Afrobeats. The other one ‘Pappy Patron’, a Togolese album, also has a touch of Afrobeats here and there. Way before Afrobeats became popular, I was already there. You may check out ‘Green is my Home’ from my 2006 album, AbiniBility, and the award winning ‘Officer’ from my 2008 album, TradoFunkHipSoul. Projects, like Workerman Movement ‘All Eyes Open’ in 2010 and ‘Root and Roll’ in 2012, all have Afrobeats but, unfortunately, it was not yet named Afrobeats at the time.
I simply tagged my music as Trado (which really is what we are all doing and should have left Fela’s creation alone from dispute). I also released a full R&B Afrobeats album in 2022 called Jaymore: Mirage Of Heartbreak Songs, also in the same year we finished work on the collabo album by myself and Owen Gee. The album, Taking Care of Business, is heavily Afrobeats and produced by Sossick. It also serves as the official movie soundtrack album for our movie Scama O Rama, and features other acts like Ashny, Pupa Tee and Leez.
You have appeared in many Nigerian films. Which do you regard as the most challenging?
Ironically, the most challenging turned out to be seamless and fun, though I had to struggle through Ajegunle on bikes during filming. It’s the movie, Seven, by Tosin Igho, where I acted as a psychiatric maniac, presently showing on Netflix. However, I never really find anything challenging when it comes to acting. I grew up on the stage and have practically acted as a lot of characters coming up, so it comes easily to me.
At the moment, I am filming a series as a bus driver, and I am enjoying it, because I have first-hand experience on how bus drivers behave. I acted as a deranged heartbroken boyfriend in my movie, Hullabaloo, shot in 2019, and the character almost swallowed me, but I was able to overcome it.
We just recently finished work on Scama O Rama alongside Owen Gee, Alibaba, Chigul, Lepacious Bose, etcetera. It is a very powerful comedy flick that was exhausting to put together because of the movement around Lagos. Besides logistics and sometimes funding, acting and producing movies are a delight to me.
Surprisingly, you studied Chemistry in the university. When did it occur to you that you weren’t cut out to be a scientist?
When I started making money from my gifts. I was already making good money from my second year in school, and, by my final year, I had no need to ask my parents for pocket money. In fact, I was already taking up some responsibilities.
The last two months have been horrible for many Nigerians with the cash crunch occasioned by the new naira change. How did it affect comedians like you?
Same way it affected everyone. I had to shut down production on my sitcom, Class of Kabuki, because, after the hardship of day one, it became glaring that we couldn’t proceed. Other actors and staff could not get cash to move around. It was difficult to transfer payment. There was no fuel to move around. It was chaos. Events could no longer hold as scheduled. I lost several bookings, because some clients needed to move their dates further to dates that were already booked. Business really slowed down.
You have a new initiative called the ‘AROMA Challenge.’ What is it all about?
The ‘AROMA Challenge’ is to create engagement for the new song as we mark 20 years of the song. I didn’t just want to release it as part of my next album but give it a life of its own so that my true fans and newbies get properly introduced to the new vibe. It is a very engaging song and deserves a lot of hype. It celebrates Afrobeats, hip-hop, Fuji and ethnicity. It’s a fusion of many things. Obesere on the song represents the legends of old, while I represent the young legends, and Punchline will be a legend in future. This is the first time we are having a comedy Fuji fusion delivered like rap.
How different is this new initiative, because we have had situations where many Nigerians have felt short-changed participating in raffles and challenges organised by popular musicians and other artistes?
I am a man of integrity. I don’t make promises I don’t keep. We intend to give the winner with the highest views and engagement 50k, a Splufik Hoodie, AROMA EP cd, and Volume 1 to 5 of my Muludun Medley album series, and also feature the winner in the video of Aroma 2.0 (20th Anniversary edition).
You have a part Togolese parentage. How has that shaped your cultural orientation? What have you learned from that society?
I must admit that my easy going nature and simple lifestyle come from my upbringing. I don’t see tribes or nations. I only see people. I learnt about love only while growing up. No one taught me hatred, so I find it very hard to get angry. I am still friends with everyone from primary, secondary and tertiary. I have no enemy. I forgive and forgo easily, and learn to apologise immediately. I love to bond with people, irrespective of their language, because I was brought up in Maroko in the midst of so many cultures. My teenage years were spent in the boarding house; I spent time in Ibadan and served in Jos. I have friends from Calabar to Delta. I am a man of many parts. My Togolese heritage is fortified with my engagements in activities by the Togolese community, who are very selfless and caring people.
How was it growing up? Were you born with a silver spoon?
I was born in the slum of Maroko; however, my step dad and mum gave us a sound upbringing. In retrospect, I realise that all they did was sacrifice a lot. We weren’t allowed to loiter in the neighbourhood as would most of our childhood friends, but, being kids, we still found a way to mingle. My step dad worked at Eko Hotel, while I schooled at Kuramo Primary School opposite his office. The finesse from that end was imported into our home. We had English breakfast in our two room apartment whenever it was possible. We cooked daily at home and never bought outside meals. It was strange to us. It wasn’t until we moved to Bariga years later that the reality hit me that we were poor. However, we already had a cultured upbringing, and this developed through our childhood. We were taught to manage and be prudent. We had three square meals and never had to eat at a neighbour’s house. We were content. At some point, my mum frowned at me buying second hand clothes from Yaba. She believed, if it was one good clean cloth you had, wear it with pride.
I also spent some of my upcoming years with my uncle and cousins in Makoko, and learnt a lot from the squalor. My spending time in the boarding house at Molusi College, Ijebu Igbo, also gave me room to mingle with those who were more privileged than I was and those that I was more blessed than. This mix helped me early in life to learn how to balance my priorities and values.
The times I spent in Ibadan were some of the toughest times of my young life, but it was a good learning curve. I spent time going back and forth to Ado Ekiti, as well as visiting cousins and got a good experience about life. However, the major eye opener was when I had to constantly spend time with my dad and his wives and many kids at Jakande Estate, Lekki, in the thick of the ghetto. I got a firsthand experience on living within your means. I always looked forward to going home to my extended family, as, from them, I learnt perseverance, persistence and gratitude. They had nothing, yet lived happily. We would be there enjoying the bliss of a healthy life without any care for troubles of this world. The occasional squabble among folks was the only intrusion. We didn’t see eating Eba with watery soup twice a day, every day of the week as a problem. We endured and overcame it. So I wasn’t born with a silver spoon, but I was brought up to hold my spoon with silver hands.
What’s your most embarrassing moment on stage and how did you recover from it?
That would have been during a stage play called Iyawo or Iyawo by Bunmi Davies in 2001 at the Muson Centre. My fellow actor forgot his props, and I had to improvise in front of a live audience. It created a humorous situation that we still laugh about till date.
What’s your recipe for success as an entertainer?
Keep it simple. Have a good name and integrity. Continue to build bridges and carry others along. Be of a pure heart and good intentions. In our space, surviving in entertainment goes beyond professionalism. You have to be good in act and in deeds.