Being an area fada has its own advantage - Charly Boy

By David Ajiboye - updated: Friday 06-06-2008
Charly Boy

He connotes different things to different persons, and if you call him marverick, you are not far from the truth. He is a musician, TV personality, revolutionary activist, youth development enthusiast, a general of the People’s army and an area father. Surprisingly, the multi-talented artiste informed that he is still evolving and fears if there would be an end to the phenomenon called Charly Boy.

Among his fellow musicians and the society in general, he cuts the picture of an enigmatic personality whose life and ideals are shrouded in radicalism. But the maverick singer, non-conformist and friend of ‘Okada’ riders said that right from day one, he had chosen his path and remained focussed towards defending the voiceless.

He said his choice of Area Fada as sobriquet is strategic, and not that he has anything to do with the popular Area Boys but that his dream is to rehabilitate the derailing youths and see them on the path of progress. To actualise his dream, CB disclosed that he is setting up a multi-purpose youth centre in Abuja, adding that the N4.5 billion project aims at training youths and artistes, as well as showcasing talents in all genres of entertainment.

My dream
The biggest of all my dreams in life is to be with the youths and ensure their welfare. My main dream has always been to establish a youth centre where I could take many young Nigerians off the streets and where I could on a wider scale, rehabilitate a lot of damaged youths in this country. Yes, it is true that parents are already failing in their duties-but I can’t totally blame them because they too are victims of a failed social structure.

They are also burning away in currents of agony, owing to the insensitivity of the system. Parents have become so frustrated and deprived that no time is apportioned to their children any longer. Of course, they too can’t take care of themselves, so how can they take care of their children?.

Me and Tyna Onwudiwe
Now, there was a time in my life that even the confidence that I had built in myself as a young person, through the years, was eroded and shattered. That was when I had just returned from the U.S. On my return to Nigeria, I went straight to the village. That damaged my self–esteem, and my confidence. I lived in the village for seven years, that was a whole lot to take from somebody who had just returned from the U.S.

I remembered that in those days, I used to come on attachment in a luxury bus from the East down to Lagos, because I wanted to be a musician. That did not go down well with my parents, only because my parents had already got a job for me in Mobil Oil in the Public Relations Department. Here was I, saying that I wanted to be a musician.

They didn’t understand, only because they felt that the life of a musician is not that promising; unsettled and with so much uncertainty. My parents wondered why I preferred to play music after I had gone to the best schools abroad. Because I didn’t want to listen to more lectures from my dad, I decided to cut-off from them. It was only in Oguta that I had accommodation then. That was the only place I knew I could start from, but starting from there, was a lot of pains to me.

It was while I was on one of my trips to Lagos that I met Tyna. That was sometimes around 1984/85. At the time I met her, I was at the lowest wrung of my life. I didn’t have a dime on me. To even take care of my wife was a problem. Getting money for transportation from Oguta to Lagos was a struggle. The few times that I was able to come to Lagos, I came on attachment in a luxury buses.

In those difficult times, I could have as well gone back to my dad and told him, ‘Enough of this suffering!’ But I did not. But pride wouldn’t let me go back. So, meeting Tina changed my life. She reinstated my confidence, my self-esteem and urged me on. It was she who made me to understand Nigerian music industry.

The Charly Boy image
When finally, I decided to go into music. I sat down with my wife to decide on the type of image I should project. Initially, I used to braid my hair; wear lipsticks and pancake. I knew that must have tormented my parents. People would take me to be a Sisi (a homosexual). I didn’t care too much about what they were thinking. I was able to carry that image because it had a little bit of me. I always love to get people thinking in different directions.

At that stage, the issue was how do I look, not the music. So, my wife and I sat down and we agreed on the Boy George look. But I came before George. After carrying that role for three or four years, it was not until I met Tyna that we decided that enough of the heavy make up, because I used to sweat a lot and my pancake used to wear-off. I used to carry the powder along everywhere I went.

Tyna woke up one morning, took me to the saloon and gave me one type of haircut. She shaved two sides of my head, and I came out a brand new person. Shortly after, I got a motorbike to go with that image and since then, I have always looked like that. For this reason, I dedicated a whole chapter to explain some of these things like the rumour that Charly Boy was getting married to Tyna, and some many other crazy things that happened. It was just two of a kind, hand-in-gloves, I tried to do some crazy stuffs.

Charly Boy image and Lady Di
We have always sat together to create illusions, and different stunts. So, right from the word go, she has always been there. And some of those things that people would take to be negative were actually created by us. In fact, when the Tyna/Charly marriage rumour was flying around, we initiated it. I remember that on a certain day, Tyna took me to the rested Prime People Magazine. On getting there, she started nudging me, “Tell them, now”, and I said, ‘what?’ She told me, “That we’re getting married now!" That was how that hype started.

For a long time and as a communicator, we were manipulating some of those stories, that people considered negative. Actually, the stories were being told to keep the name there and the hype. While all that was going on, all I was trying to do was how I could learn and master the tricks.

Why they call me Area Fada
Yes, I have explained the fault of parents. Teachers too are no longer interested in imparting knowledge into pupils.They are no longer bothered about taking up the honourable role of building the future of the children. So, Charly Boy out of his conviction has decided to take up the role of parents and teachers by coming to the rescue of youths. So, I have become father of the street children and youths, hence they call me Area Fada. The name has nothing to do with the regular Area Boys who are popular on Lagos streets. My role is not to promote or encourage those layabouts who are busy stealing or attacking innocent citizens of this country. I’ve become the spokesperson of all the youths and that is why I’ve decided to build a N4.5 million complex to actualize my dream.