Funwontan Abefe Jengbetiele: 10 Things To Know About Gbenga Adeboye, The Man Who Re-invented Nigerian Comedy

Long earlier than Basketmouth, Bovi, Alibaba or Instagram skit makers, there was one man who owned Nigerian laughter. His title was Elijah Oluwagbemiga Adeboye, however the world knew him as Funwontan, Abefe, Jengbetiele — the one-man battalion who could possibly be 20 individuals directly. NOP NIGERIA presents 10 issues to know concerning the legend who died over 20 years in the past however has by no means been changed.

1. His Real Name Was Elijah Oluwagbemiga Adeboye: He was born on September 30, 1959, in Ode-Omu, Osun State, to Pa Adeboye and Rebecca Tinuola Adeboye. His dad and mom hailed from Ode-Omu and Gbongan, which made him jokingly undertake “Ode-gbon” as his hometown. At delivery, he was Elijah, however by the point he died, it turned tough to maintain observe of his names as a result of each character he created turned one other identification.

2. He Was The School Clown Who Became A Star: At Oranmiyan Memorial Grammar School, Ile-Ife, Gbenga was already well-known as the college clown — the boy who may bail himself out of hassle he principally put himself into, simply by telling jokes. Teachers punished him, classmates liked him, and no person knew that mischief would someday turn into a nationwide trade.

3. He Started As An Airport Worker: Before fame, Lagos humbled him. He received a job with the Nigerian Airports Authority as a business attaché. His job was choosing up foreigners on the airport, holding placards and asserting their names from a small notepad. From holding placards for strangers, he would later maintain the microphone for an entire nation.

4. Radio Lagos Made Him Funwontan: He began broadcasting in 1980 on the previous Radio Lagos AM station, presenting a weekly Yoruba programme entitled _Funwontan_, aired from 11am to 12 noon on Saturdays. The present was principally freestyle classes with improvised characters, Yoruba dialects interwoven with _ewi_ and incantations. The title caught so onerous it turned his identification. Funwontan means “the one who makes everyone laugh.”

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5. He Could Mimic Nearly 20 Voices In One Set: Gbenga was a ventriloquist and a grasp of voices. He may mimic practically twenty voices throughout a set, switching from Itu Baba Ita to Laisi Abesupinle, from Abefe to Alaye Mi Gbengulo, with out lacking a beat. Each character had its personal voice, story and wahala. It was skit-making earlier than skit-making existed.

6. He Was Alhaji, Pastor And Oluwo At The Same Time: One of his most genius creations was “Alhaji Pastor Oluwo.” He claimed to be each a Christian _and_ a Muslim, quoting Bible verses, Quranic verses and conventional incantations in succession. It was not confusion — it was his approach of talking to each Nigerian, breaking spiritual partitions with laughter.

7. He Was Nigeria’s First International Comedian: In 1994, Gbenga went on his first stand-up and music tour of American cities, later releasing the audio and video because the “American Exposure” collection. He was the primary Nigerian comic to go worldwide and pioneered many points of the trade right this moment, each on the inventive facet and the enterprise facet. He later toured the US and Europe once more earlier than his demise.

8. He Released Albums That Preached And Made You Laugh: He launched six albums between 1990 and 2003, plus earlier works like Iya Onibeji Ato’da in 1981, Exposure, Ijinle Oro, London Yabis, Oro Sunnukun, Pekuti, Funwontan 1&2_ and _Omo Majemu_. His technique was easy: compose songs on one facet, craft comedy on the opposite. He admonished by way of songs like Iya (Mother) and Yoruba Ronu, and cracked followers up on tracks like London Yabbis.

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9. He Was A Mentor And A Giver: Gbenga gave Nollywood star Fathia Balogun her massive break when she featured as a dancer in certainly one of his music movies. He mentored gospel singer Yinka Ayefele, Abbey Fagboro, Ereke ni Soobu, Bashiru Adisa aka Baba Gboin, and lots of others. Veteran actress Idowu Philips, Mama Rainbow, has stated her first automobile was a present from the comic. He additionally based the Freelance and Independent Broadcasters Association of Nigeria (FIBAN).

10. His Death Was Surrounded By Mystery And Wednesdays: Wednesday was particular in his life. According to his sister Seun, he was born on a Wednesday, started his training on a Wednesday, had his first journey to America on a Wednesday, and his first radio programme on a Wednesday. He died on Wednesday, April 30, 2003, at 43, after a battle with kidney-related ailment, and was buried on Wednesday, May 14, 2003, in Akute, Ogun State. In his final album, he had advised tales of reaching the gates of heaven, solely to be turned again as a result of “his time had not come.”

Twenty-three years after, his home in Akute was nonetheless unfinished when he died, however his legacy is full. He was laid in state at Lagos Television, and a mass of followers adopted his physique to its remaining resting place. Today, each comic who switches voices, each skit maker who creates characters, each radio host who mixes humour with proverbs, is strolling a highway Gbenga Adeboye constructed. Funwontan could also be gone, however Abefe Jengbetiele by no means stopped speaking.

NOP NIGERIA