I Never Studied Latin; It’s All About Comedy - Mr. Latin

Mr. Latin Bolaji Amusan a. k. a. Mr. Latin who speaks Latin and French languages fluently without being taught, spoke with GBENGA OLUMIDE recently about his life and other issues relating to the movie indusry. Excerpts:

Let’s take a peep into your life.
I’m Bolaji Amusan from Gbongan in Osun State, and I was born on October 16, 1966 to Mr. and Mrs. Emmanuel Omolola Amusan. I attended Army Children School, Abeokuta, between 1973 and 1978. After that, I went to Gbongan to attend Community High School and after finishing my secondary education, I came back to Abeokuta. Actually, I was brought to Abeokuta when I was seven years old by my elder brother who was the second child of our family. He was an Army officer and he was transferred to Abeokuta then. I went with him in 1973.

You just arrived from the US, how was your experience?
It was a very nice experience. I’ve never been to the United States of America before, despite the fact that I’ve been to other places like London, Germany, Holland, Israel, Dublin and others. This is my first time of going to the US and it was a unique journey in the sense that we all obtained our entry clearance (visa) together with a work permit.

So, we were not in America for visiting alone; we also went to perform or act on stage to make people laugh. We were able to tour about 16 states for serious stage acting. And I want to tell you that people over there received us so wonderfully because at any of our shows, Nigerians always came there en masse and they enjoyed themselves.

People know you as Mr. Latin, how did that appellation come to be?
When I started acting I never started as a comedian, I started as a normal actor but along the line I ventured into comedy. During that time we had Baba Sala who is our father, we had Baba Aluwe, Baba Suwe and others. So, when I came, I tried to bring the little education I had into it (comedy). Then, there was a need to act as a funny old man and I wanted to act as such, I also wanted to carry the young ones along; I wanted to make sure that the retirees, the railway workers, the retired soldiers who were a bit educated accept what I was doing, so,

I introduced a little of education I had by introducing French and Latin languages . I spoke Latin, I would translate it to Yoruba and mix it with English and French. I was doing this then just to carry those who could read and write along and make myself different from those that I met in the system.

So, you were once a student of Latin?
Not at all. I never studied Latin. It’s all about comedy. But I studied a little of French when I was in school.

As a comedian, you don’t dress funny like many others, yet, people laugh hysterically whenever you dole out the stuff. How do you do it?
Without being proud. I can refer to myself as an educated comedian. Comedy is not all about costume(s); comedy is about movement, it’s about what you speak out and comedy is about role interpretation. It is a situation whereby you make people around you, especially the elite who are not actors, laugh. I want to say that people like 'Baba Sala', 'Baba Suwe', 'Baba Aluwe' have tried their best in terms of comedy; they’ve laid a good foundation for us comedians that are following them.

Even in those days, a comedian would just put on rags and start cracking jokes, but today things have changed and these changes came through the little education we had. I cannot just put any rag on today and say I want to make people laugh. Though, I may make them laugh but they will definitely tell me that what I’m doing is not realistic. So, that I make people laugh despite dressing normally is the result of my little education and grace of God.

What determines your acceptance of a script or role?
It depends on the script and the producer. If the producer is unknown to me, my own is to study the script and interpret it. I can put on a pair of shorts in a production, I can act as a gateman. I can act as anything, just give me any role. Mine is to interpret the role and make people laugh and learn something good in such production or film.

Where does your inspiration come from?
My inspiration is from God and the elders. I once had a landlord who was very funny then. He used to act the way I’m acting now. When you are an actor, either as a lawyer, or doctor or court judge or anything, you need to do a lot of research so as to meet up with people you want to act with. So, whenever I stay around old people, I study them to know how they talk, what they do and things like that so as to get what I will use.

What thrills you about what you are doing?
Entertainment is like sports, if you’re interested in it, nothing can change your mind even if you don’t have the money. The job is intoxicating, you can leave a job of N500,000 like contract and go and take a role without taking a kobo. Let’s take Kanu or Okocha as an example, if they are in the country now, they will go to the field for training instead of resting in their houses and when they get there, they will still be spending because the job is part of them. When you are an actor or an entertainer you have no choice than to adapt to any situation you might find yourself. But sincerely speaking, I’m always moved when people appreciate what I do. Whenever anybody makes reference to one of my productions, I’m always happy.

Who would you say is instrumental to your success as an actor?
God! God!! and God!!! Aside my Creator, I have senior colleagues whom I’m looking up to. They have contributed immensely to my rise to stardom. I give kudos to my late boss, Mr. Segun Adeniji a.k.a Sama. He was the one that detected the comedy instinct in me. I also doff my cap for Ebun Oloyede (Igwe) who polished the rising star (me) to make it a household name today. Baba Suwe is also there who stood as one of my role models. He is one of those comedians I look up to. I always say that if Baba Suwe can achieve as a comedian, definitely if I work hard and pray about it I can achieve too and I thank God for where I am today.

What misconception do people have about you?
None. Fortunately enough, I’m an humble person. I respect people: my seniors, my contemporaries, my junior ones and all my fans. I have not been reported negatively since my acting career began.

Tell me your most challenging moment(s)?
Professionally, it was exactly 20 years ago that I started acting, precisely March, 1988. When I started, my parents did all they could to stop me from acting. They believed anybody that ventured into acting could not make ends meet. I could remember a day when my mother came from Gbongan to stay with me for a while; I could not provide for her even a meal in a whole day, let alone providing her three square meals. She had to ask me then what I was doing in the acting profession. She said, “We all encouraged you to find something tangible doing but you said you wanted to act when you know that acting alone cannot feed you let alone your family.” Those were part of the challenges. But as an actor, I prayed over it and made up my mind that if my senior colleagues like Oga Bello, Jide Kosoko, Yinka Quadri, and so on could achieve a lot through acting, nothing would stop me from making it if I don’t relent my efforts. I thank God, today, through acting I’ve been able to take care of my family, build a house and become known.

What is the problem facing the acting industry now?
I don’t think we have any problem, but in any profession there must be cracks, junks and fake(s). We have fake journalists, manufacturers, doctors, lawyers and so on. It is left for the people in the profession or government to re-mould their profession and that is exactly what we are doing in the acting industry now.

When people now discovered that acting is a lucrative job, they come into it from all nooks and crannies. But we are trying as much as possible to remove the chaff from the wheat.

Many claim that English movie industry is doing far better than Yoruba movies. How far is this true?
I totally disagree with that. The only thing is that our colleagues at the other side are very fortunate to be producing their films in the universally acceptable language. They are not better than we. Most Yoruba actors and actresses are living in their homes, they are riding good cars and they are known all over the place. But the only difference is that the Hausas, the Yorubas and other tribes watch their films including some countries across our border. And in order to make our films also generally acceptable, we are sub-titling in English.

Apart from this, the rich people in Igboland always come to the aid of their counterparts who are actors. They release their houses, cars including money for the success of such productions. But we from the Yoruba part in the industry are still imploring our people to come to our aid. This is my own personal house, if I use it for four, five films, it will look too monotonous. Neither could I be using my car all the time. We still need houses and cars to make our own production to be well accepted.

Can you remember your first experience on stage as a professional actor?
When I was in the secondary school, my first area of interest was sports. Then, I wanted to be like Segun Odegbami, I even bought a jersey which I used to put on. I wrote No. 7 on it and this made my colleagues to start calling me Odegbami. When I finished my secondary school, I came back to Abeokuta to learn about electrical engineering. During this time I used to suffer injuries and this gave me a sort of setback.

So, I was studying electrical engineering and whenever there was nothing much to do, I would go and sit in front of our workshop and start cracking jokes. One day, a man, Azeez Akanni, who happened to be my oga (senior) observed that I would be good as an actor. This man had a group then called Azeez Akanni and His Travelling Theatre. He suggested that I should come to where he lived, that some actors used to rehearse there. I went one day and was just looking at them (actors). At a point, a young man who was to act a role was not doing it well. I told them I could do it better, and they let me. When I acted the role, they were amazed. That was how I got the first role I played in my first appearance on stage. That was in 1987. The rest, as they say, is history.

How do you relax?
I relax by going to the club, the prestigious Abeokuta Sports Club. That is the oldest club in West Africa. It was founded in 1904. I’m fortunate, honoured to belong to that club. In fact, I thank them for allowing an ordinary actor like me to be a member. It is a club that has “who is who” as members.

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is the life patron of that club. And we have governors, philanthropists, doctors, lawyers, obas and other highly-placed people as members, so, I’m only privileged to belong there, and I pray that the club will continue to wax stronger.

In all honesty, you womanise once in a while?
Well, I’m a Christian. I’ve been to Israel once and I have my own wife. I have lots of female fans, I don’t go to bed with them, neither do I go to bed with my female colleagues. My wife is here, you can cross-check. I’m faithful to her; I don’t womanise at all. As I’ve said, I have female admirers but our relationship is just based on entertainment, nothing more. I’m a one-man-one-wife person.

Papa Ajasco & Co Bags Award

Mr. Wale Adenuga and Papa Ajasco receiving
the award on behalf of the crew.Thunderous applause heralded the announcement of "Papa Ajasco and Company" as the winner of the programme of the year category at the 11th City People Awards held at the Liberty Gardens, Ikeja, Lagos.

The event was witnessed by the Governors of Abia, Delta and Enugu states. Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, business moguls, corporate individuals and other notable persons in the society were also present.

"Papa Ajasco and Company" defeated four other entries to lift the much sought-after glass plaque at the well-attended event acclaimed by all and sundry as grand.

On hand to receive the award were Mr. Wale Adenuga, the producer as well as Papa Ajasco, the lead character of the award winning TV comedy series.

In his acceptance speech, Adenuga dedicated the award to Dr. Raymond Dokpesi for giving them their first break on TV in 1997. “He gave us the opportunity to air Papa Ajasco & Company on TV for the first time.

“I also dedicate this award to our viewers for their consistent loyalty which has made us the favourite comedy program me on air.

“Finally, I dedicate it to the media including City People for their support and encouragement which has contributed in no small measure to our success today.”
Adenuga particularly thanked the crew and the new cast of "Papa Ajasco & Company" for taking on the challenge from the former set.

“It is an enormous challenge that we prepared for, and I am glad that, our viewers, advertisers and the media have accepted our new Papa Ajasco & Company cast. This award goes a long way to affirm their acceptance.”

Adenuga revealed that "Papa Ajasco & company" has already moved to the next level as the current episode entitled Do Me, I Do You, which features celebrated actress, Patience Ozokwor a.k.a Mama Gee as guest artiste is already talk of the town.

He went further, “it’s comedy like never before, apart from Patience Ozokwor, we plan to feature other celebrated comedy stars, to give our viewers the best of what they look out for in Papa Ajasco & company.”

He finally submits, “this award will inspire us to make our better best to maintain the frontliner we are in comedy.”