LEGENDS OF THE ARTS: BABA SALA (MOSES OLAIYA) IT'S BABA SALA'S POSTHUMOUS 88TH BIRTHDAY
IT'S BABA SALA'S POSTHUMOUS 88TH BIRTHDAY
A Yoruba from Ijesha, Baba Sala, regarded as the father of
modern Nigerian comedy, alongside other dramatists like Hubert Ogunde, Kola
Ogunmola, Oyin Adejobi and Duro Ladipo popularized theater and television
acting in Nigeria.
He was a prolific filmmaker.
Baba Sala started his career in show business as a Highlife
musician, fronting in 1964 a group known as the Federal Rhythm Dandies where he
tutored and guided the jùjú music maestro King Sunny Adé who was his lead
guitar player. The band was the toast of Nigerian elites.
He also worked as a part-time teacher and in the late
evenings, he would transform into a highlife musician.
The comedian discovered, tutored and mentored the lead
guitarist who would later become known as King Sunny Ade. By 1969, Moses Olaiya
had become a full-time professional theatre comedian after he disbanded his
Moses Olaiya Concert Party. He founded the Moses Olaiya International Alawada
Theatre Limited shortly after and together they travelled extensively round
Nigerian towns and cities.
“Drama was in my blood. I was a drummer. Sunny Ade liked
playing guitar. I taught him how to play guitar and he was very good at it. I
am proud of him. Sunny Ade’s ambition was to play drums. He said that it was
not in him to act. I felt that I should concentrate on acting and leave Sunny
Ade to drumming and playing guitar. That was why I gave him my drum and musical
instruments,” he revealed in an interview in 2011.
King Sunny Ade also acknowledged the late comic actor as his
mentor during his 70th birthday party in 2016.
“Baba Sala is my boss and he would continue to be my boss
for life. I owe him that gratitude for life. I was playing percussion in his
band and he was playing guitar and a couple of instruments. I was in charge of
the music in the drama section, playing Conga. He actually prompted me to go
into music with a proviso that I should go and if after nine months, I found it
tough, I should come back. He told me, go and try and that if does not work,
come back.”
On the instruction of the then Premier of the Western
Region, Obafemi Awolowo, the comedian got a one-year contract of drama sketches
at the Western Nigeria Television, WNTV. He berthed with Alawada Series on WNTV
and later on NTA Ibadan every Wednesday between 7:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. In a
short time, his fame knew no bounds.
The legendary actor wrote all episodes of his drama series
and also took on lead character regularly.
Baba Sala’s relationship with Awolowo was enviable; the sage
ensured he got him his first telephone amongst other privileges.
The legendary actor had several drama series on NTA Ibadan.
They include ‘Orun Mooru,’ ‘Aare Agbaye,’ and ‘Mosebolatan,’ which starred late
magician, Professor Peller.
During one of his most famous interviews he revealed that he
had 18 wives and 50 children. But nonetheless, he was a family man to the core
and a doting dad.
The comedian sank into the background after enjoying
patronage and limelight for decades owing to ill health and dwindling fortunes.
Baba Sala was also one of the first Nigerian filmmakers to
be affected negatively by the activities of movie pirates.
In 1982, Olaiya made his big screen debut in Orun Mooru
directed by Ola Balogun and co-produced by Olaiya. He plays his signature
character Baba Sala, a man from a poor background who had built some wealth
selling electronics in the city only to loose it to greed assisted by the
advice of a dubious babalawo.
The movie was well received but was pirated which affected
box office receipts. Olaiya then directed and produced his next film, Aare
Agbaye in 1983. His third film Mosebolatan was directed by Ade Folayan with
Tunde Kelani as cinematographer. The movie was artistically and financially
successful.
In the 1990s, Olaiya dabbled into the home video market with
Agba Man and Return Match two slapstick comedies which lack the technical
qualities of his early films.
He said then, “Initially, we did it on 36mm and later
reduced it to 16mm. This film, unknown to us, was dubbed by some wicked people
and pirated as original. I had never experienced such a disappointment in my life.
I was shocked to the marrow and only God knew how I survived paralysis at this
period. I was cheated and left shattered. For the realisation of this dream, I
had gone to borrow over N1.5 million from a bank to see me through the
business. You can imagine how much that translates to in the present day, I
automatically became indebted, and I sold most of my properties to settle the
debt.”
Awada Spot in Ibadan; Alawada Standard Hotel, Ilesha;
Alawada Records, Ibadan; and Ibukun Alawada Photo magazine were some of his
investments which had to be sold off.
Baba Sala, picked the first award for his film Mosebolatan,
at the Performing Art Awards Night (1986 edition). The Nigerian Television
Authority and the then Concord Press of Nigeria organised it.
His other blockbuster movies include Aare Agbaye, Agba Man,
Obe ‘Gbona, Return Match, Diamond and Ana Gomina.
Like most Nigerian legends, the late Baba Sala did not earn
the much-deserved recognition during his lifetime.
In 1978, Nigeria’s then military head of state, Olusegun
Obasanjo, conferred him with the Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) title.
Some of Baba Sala’s works were:
- 1. Orun Mooru (1982)
- 2. Aare Agbaye (1983)
- 3. Mosebolatan (1985)
- 4. Obee Gbona (1989)
- 5. Diamond (1990 Home video )
- 6. Agba Man (1992, Home Video)
- 7. Return Match (1993, Home Video)
- 8. Ana Gomina (1996, home video, )
- 9. Tokunbo (1985, TV)
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