How many remember Bob Okala with his trademark hand clock; or Nkomode; how about the late Bob Santo? Agya Koo used to do some sort of comedy during his days on the Concert Party platforms. Of course, to go back further, I do remember the late Waterproof with his hard-hat and Super OD as well. These were guys who could make one laugh real hard back in the day, albeit their comedy was in Twi. Then we had Fritz Baffoe and Tommy Annan Forson coming through with comedy in English their own shows and all. Those were the times. Then we had TV programmes with comedies strewn all over. We could at the time boast of comedians who could make us laugh.
KSM then strolled into town with his own brand which was focused on specific issues and themes. Perhaps the only time he strayed into having a generalized comedy show was when he failed to rock even though the title was ‘KSM STILL ROKN’.
Now, we have all gone to bed and our Nigerian brothers are completely dominating the industry. Funny, isn’t it, especially when they come here from Naija and yet manage to make us crack our ribs often with examples from their home whereas our guys who live with us fail so horribly to even make us smile. I get the sense that we sometimes just pretend to laugh just so we do not embarrass them too much on stage. Let me explain.
KSM NO LONGER ROKN
I was at KSM’s Christmas Day double-do. I was at the second show and the KSM I saw was not the KSM I had seen before. He struggled to make jokes and I think there wasn’t enough audience connection. Perhaps those of us at the second show were unfortunate to have had a tired and worn KSM. I mean you can’t possibly deliver a double-dose of high octane performance within hours like that. From what I saw though, KSM seems to have gotten rusted from his 2 year hiatus. Or perhaps he’s at his best when he themes his performances as he’s always done with Afia Serebour, Politically Incorrect, etc. For me KSM on Christmas Day was nothing to write home about. Perhaps the bright spot was Funny Face. As KSM himself admitted, it felt like a handover ceremony; from KSM to Funny Face. More later.
What is this with FBS? I mean those guys have never really being ‘the thing’ yet KSM keeps using them. Seems he fell in love with their ‘oluman bogey’ dance moves and since then he has been using them. My problem is that I think for shows like his, patrons come to sit down and laugh. If a musical artiste is to perform perhaps it will be better to have one whose music does not require ‘yo yo one finger in the air’ kind of gibberish. Ghanaians just don’t get up to dance. They have to be truly moved to do so. So when patrons of the caliber that KSM attracts come to watch him, Obuor and FBS are hardly the acts one should consider using.
1011 MUSIC & LAUGHS
There are a number of speaking points about this December’s edition but I will focus on the main show proper for now. As usual, our brothers and sister from Naija made the so-called budding comedy acts from Ghana except for Funny Face, look mediocre. It was obvious these are people who take their professions seriously. Buchi, Owen Gee, Bash and Lekpocious Bose were simply terrific on the night, and they did not have to do too much to thrill! Their jokes were on point and they just pulled the whole auditorium with them. I love to laugh and did I laugh a lot! Comparatively our boys just did not perform. They seemed to have been trying too hard, Percy especially.
Percy came on stage with a soundtrack of PRESEC’s School Anthem mixed with some other tune. I mean, why on earth will you do that? It was not as if he knew the audiences were mainly Presecan’s who knew their anthem well. Then he comes shouting as though he had a fight with someone. He then starts delivering with some seriousness as though he was attempting to sound serious on a political platform. I don’t know if they noticed how relaxed and easy Buchi and Owen Gee took their acts. Yes, everyone has his style but when your style is not funny, you do not need anyone to tell you. I was honestly nearly embarrassed especially when I knew he had abused my beloved and cherished school anthem!
DKB was also horrible. There were times when I felt I may do better than these guys. If you want to do comedy, I think you learn the art well, research, and know how to deliver. It was pathetic watching these guys humiliate themselves. I do not want to believe the large audience awed them. Funny Face did it for the first time earlier in the year and he was good; god enough to make him the next big thing for GH comedy.
Funny Face
Talking about Funny Face, though he was not on the bill, he was absolutely hilarious as co-MC. Seriously that dude has a future if he keeps learning and polishing his acts. He totally eclipsed KSM at his own show and then later held the entire Dome captive even as an MC. I pray his new found fame and success and perhaps wealth does not get into his head too much though. That is often the downfall of these guys; they get so swollen headed and before you know it, they are stale and out. On the night, he saved GH’s face.
Free Suggestion
Perhaps Charterhouse can take it upon itself to find a way of grooming some of these GH boys. I mean, we love our brothers from Naija and they sure as hell are funny. Nevertheless, it will be a plus to Charterhouse and to GH if our own folks can hold down their own in comedy. We have had some wonderful guys before and I am sure there are many more Fritz Baffoes and TAFs in the system.
By Kwame Gyan